Maria eyes the horrible scene and looks around for magical signature of what did this.
Taking aback by the grisly scene, "Okay now that is just sick and twisted! I'm not going to just leave him there; I'm cutting him loose." Barring any objections, Jack proceeds to do just that.
Cedric removes the nail from maria. (take 10)
Upon seeing the sight, cedric sighs, as flyn jack cuts him down, Cedric looks at the flowers to try and determine what they are.
As you step forward to cut the man down there is a click as the tripwire is triggered. The crossbows hidden in the trees all fire their bolts into the area.
Lazar You believe that the silver weapon was used to ensure the Lycanthrope died.
Cedric the purple flowers stuffed in the mans mouth are wolfsbane.
You all note that the bolts were coated in Silversheen, though it has expired as time passed.
You now have a Masterwork silver dagger, and enough wolfsbane to make 3 doses of the poison.
What are you doing now?
Lazar points out that they might be dealing with lycanthropes here, in case no one noticed
"I'm no expert, really. Maybe our friend Gadren, here, can enlighten us on the matter; he's been through stuff."
"That Jack is why you approach these situations. I've seen traps laid like this by some of the more ruthless rangers in Nirmathras." Gadren casts mage armour just to be safe.
Maria snaps off the crossbow bolt with an annoyed wince.
With a frustrated grimace from the bolt and his blunder, "CRAP! Just great! Absolute apologies, all. I promise I'm not trying to get us all killed even though it seems like it," he says with a continued level of frustration. "This is definitely not my typical landscape. I'm definitely much more accustomed to the urban lifestyle than all this 'woodsy' junk. Will be far more astute next time." Man that sure was sloppy, Jack. You've GOT to be better than that; there's just no excuse, he thinks to himself, appearing far more perturbed than normal.
What you have found is a dead Werewolf, or someone the killer believed was a werewolf. The trap was set to bait more of it's kind here, the bolts all coated with silversheen.
Whoever set the trap clearly didn't care about anybody else stumbling across the trap?
After several more days travel you arrive at your destination. Ascanor Lodge, a large and decadently appointed manor deep in the heart of the Shudderwood, used by Ustalav’s elite as a hunting retreat.
Once a private hunting lodge owned by Lozeri’s deposed count Beauturne,
the Palatine Council of Lozeri appropriated the estate when Beauturne fled the county and opened it year round to paying guests.
You are here on the trail of the Whispering way agents.
D1. Gatehouse:
The entrance to the lodge is through twin wrought iron portcullises (hardness 10, hp 60, Break DC 25) set within large arches inside a small half-timber watch-house, flanked on each side by a low stone tower.
A small contingent of six mercenaries lives in the lower chambers of the towers and monitors the gate. Most of the time, the gates are
kept closed, and the guards refuse to open them without the presentation of a formal reservation.
How are you approaching the lodge?
Maria ponders their plan as they approach the lodge and turns to the others. "What are the odds the Whispering Way has infiltrated or even taken over this lodge? We might be able to get in peacefully or perhaps it will come to force. But I won't attack guards of the lodge if they are merely protecting private property and not working for the Whispering Way."
"Lets try gaining entrance by legitimate means... if we can't and decide it prudent given the circumstances I can get most of in using the dimension door spell. I can't transport everyone but if one person could infiltrate and find and empty room for us to teleport into it would avoid undue notice."
"Hey Jack, in case we find more wolves, you might want to keep that dagger..."
Lazar agrees with Gadren. "Yes, we should capitalize from a good first try in case we need a second try. We only need an alibi s to who we are and what are we doing here."
Nodding, "Good idea. Will do that," he responds, placing it within his pack.
"We've got... what was her name again? You know, the lady in charge back in town. She gave us something didn't she?" He then looks off to the side in thought, shaking his head. "For crying out loud I cannot remember her name for the life of me."
The guards refuse to admit you at first, when shown your invitations signed by Judge Daramid they call the lodges porter to deal with you.
The tidily dressed Halfling scans your papers.
“I apologize for any misunderstanding, but as the porter of Ascanor Lodge, I cannot permit your entrance at this time. You do not have reservations in our books, and despite your claims, I have no evidence to justify allowing strangers into the lodge. From the looks of you, unlike the rest of my guests, you haven’t come here to take a peaceful retreat. I want no trouble, so off with you all, and take whatever troubles you bring somewhere else!”
It will take a diplomacy check to talk your way in now. Meanwhile several nobles seem to have gathered to watch the event, and cast scornful looks at you. :)
Whose doing the talking?
Cedric smiles at the halfling.
My friend, we seek not to bring trouble, only to prevent it from running its course. I hope with all my heart that our stay here would be a peaceful one, untroubled by the worries that brought us here. However, I fear that may not be the case, and I fear that whatever trouble that would be present here already may merely be lurking in shadow and mist. Do you not agree that it is dangerous for everyone if a problem is overlooked merely because one does not wish to confront it? This is true in towns, even down to something so simple as marriage. If something is avoided merely because it may cause trouble, then it likely ends up causing more trouble later than it ever could have before. We seek not to interrupt the peaceful retreat of those who are here. Quite the opposite in fact, we seek to make sure their time here remains as such. While simultaneously continuing to help those outside of this lodge keep their peaceful daily lives as well. His friendly smile never fades as he speaks.
Maria nods. "Well said. We don't bring trouble unless it's already here. If it is, we just deal with it." While speaking, she quietly scans the gatehouse and as much of the lodge as she can with her divine senses.
You manage to talk your way into the lodge, though though the porter is still giving you dubious looks.
However just as it seems the commotion has ended:
A rough-and-tumble-looking woodsman heads for the gate, followed by a young noble dressed in finely tailored, studded hunting leathers. Despite the commotion, the two men push through the crowd, oblivious to anyone else’s concerns. Several scruffy-looking hirelings follow behind them leading a pair of horses and carrying wooden crates marked with heraldic
symbols. As they shuffle past, the woodsman calls back to the noble, “For the last time Duristan! I’ll take you there, but I ain’t bringing my dogs!”
The coats of arms on the crates belong to the noble house of Ariesir of Ardeal.
The young noble is in the midst of badgering the woodsman for information when he sets his eyes on you and immediately orders you. “You there! Fall in with me, I need more able sword-arms for the hunt!”
What are you doing now?
Gadren whispers to the others. "The coat of arms is that of house Ariesir of Ardeal... getting on his good side may prove useful but also might be a waste of time."
"We have prior obligations but if you could elaborate further we might be able to accomodate you Lord Ardeal."
Lazar has zero idea who this "Ordeal" guy is, but he trusts Gadren's good judgment on the matter and lets him do the talking. Sometimes, you must do boring and trivial assignments to get what you're looking for in return.
Maria looks skeptical but stays silent, not much of one for dealing with the muckity-mucks.
The woodsman is Delgros Kroitzcer, Ascanor Lodge’s huntsmaster. The nobleman is Duristan Silvio Ariesir, a self-styled werewolf hunter eager to both attract the attention of real adventurers and stir the ire of some of the lodge’s snootier guests.
Earlier that day, Delgros led a small party of patrons into the woods on a hunt that ended with the horrific, unexplained slaughter of the golden buck he and the guests were pursuing. The sight of the stag’s flayed
carcass so terrified the participants that they fled back to the lodge in a panic, spreading rumors of the Devil in Gray flying among the lodge’s guests.
Delgros attempted to quell the rumors, but Duristan immediately caught wind of the gossip and drew his own conclusion—that the stag was slain by a werewolf. Excited beyond belief, Duristan demanded Delgros take him
to see the carcass and quickly rallied his six ragtag hirelings to grab his werewolf-hunting equipment and set off on a hunt.
Then he saw you. :)
Lozeri is one of the states known as the Palatinates, in fact it was the first Palainate as in 4670 AR its people threw off the unjust rule of their hereditary noble family.
Now Lozeri is ruled by a group of well off but less-than-noble citizens who indulge the whims of the county's social elite.
Their preferred entertainment seems to be elaborate hunts, ranging from staged hunts of local fauna to hunts where exotic and often dangerous imported beasts are released and then hunted across the land.
For the normal inhabitants of Lozeri little changed with the change of government and many complain that at least the deposed Count Beauturne kept the woodlands safe while the new Courtaud's Council seems intent on releasing dangerous beasts into them.
To further scare the population in recent years rumour has begun circling of the Devil in Gray a foul beast of that hunts people from at the fringes of the forest.
"I shall consult with my associates, but a moment please."
"If they run into this werewolf I'm not sure how long they'd last... and with us their to steady their nerves hopefully they wont kill some hapless woodsman. We can deal with a potential threat at best and at worst find out more about the inner workings of the lodge, the young noble seems excitable, a few well placed words and he might reveal much!"
Jack looks to Gadren and listens intently. "Gadren's got a point. We have a far greater chance of keeping these fools alive than they do. What the heck, I say let's go."
Maria eyes the man coldly and mutters to the others "I've nothing against hunting a werewolf but if he's an indiscriminate murderer... It's time the law found him... Let's go along either way. If he attacks a werewolf, good. We'll help. If he attacks an innocent, it'll be his undoing."
Lazar nods. "So we'll be helpful no matter what happens. That's a win-win. Let's go!"
Just outside the gates of the lodge, Duristan and Delgros mount up and begin to trot in a westerly direction. After a few miles, they reach the spot where the dead stag was found.
The trail leads to a small clearing, where the trampled ground and snapped brush show signs of a great struggle. The soil is soaked with blood, and more has splashed upon the tree trunks and leaves. Despite the telltale evidence, Delgros’s jaw drops and his eyes dart wildly with shock at the situation. “It’s gone!” he cries.
Perception and Knowledge Nature checks please.
Gadren easily keeps pace on his large armoured warhorse but if any of the group start to look tired will allow them to use his mount for a while.
Lazar carefully studies the corpse, though this time from a bit further away.
It is a forest, and there are animals that would likely be overjoyed for a free meal. Cedric states looking over the seen.
The missing carcass spurs Delgros to organize a frantic search of the immediate area.
A DC 15 Perception or Survival check reveals at least two distinct sets of prints in the clearing, besides those of the stag. Frustratingly,
most are only partial prints and all are badly trampled.
The most striking are large wolf like prints, twice the size of a typical wolf’s prints. A DC 13 Knowledge (nature) check is enough to realize that the tracks are not consistent with normal lycanthrope hybrid prints, seeming more like dire wolf tracks, though with strange, elongated claws.
The other set of prints belongs to a great boar, identifiable with a DC 14 Knowledge (nature) check. A DC 15 Survival check is enough to note a swath of crushed scrub and brush, as if something had been dragged off
into the wood, and follow the trail for another 50 feet or so.
Those following the tracks hear loud scuffling and grunting noises and spot the bushes rustling ahead.
What are you doing now? Anyone with any Survival or Knowledge Nature knows how Boards react to people. :)
"Two main sets of tracks. These ones are lupine but I doubt a lycanthrope, much more likely to be a dire wolf. The other is that of a large boar... someone more skilled at tracking than me might be able follow them."
Maria nods and draws her falchion "The lycanthrope seems like more of a problem. Large boars live in the forest. That's the point of these hunting lodges."
Given the circumstances, Lavar tries to check the tracks and see where each one lead.
Lazar finds out the trail and follows it for just a bit before noticing the danger.
"Hey, can you hear that?" he whispers, followed by an invocation to his Goddess' holy might.
Jack pulls out his blades as he nods to Lazar. "Yep. Now the question is: What do we do about it? Go in and kill kill kill or see what in the world it is first and then go in and kill kill kill," he says with a wry grin.
[smaller]"If it's a boar or a wolf attack but first we see what it is... perhaps a bit of recon Jack? I could cast heroism on you to make it easier?"
Yeah, me too, you are my hero jack. Cedric jokes quietly
Nodding, "Sounds good. Let's do this." He then lets out a grin at Cedric's comment. "Are you kidding me? I'm everybody's hero," he returns, winking as he moves off.
Jack moves up as quiet as possible and attempts to get a glimpse of whatever might have been rustling those bushes.
Jack, you slip through the trees as carefully as you can, you see four huge Boars gorging on the body of a stag. One seems to be uneasy and raises its head to scent the air.
What are you doing now?
Uh oh. Time to back away. Back up, Jack. Just back up. He thinks to himself and he does exactly that before turning back toward the others. He throws up four fingers at them and mouths the word 'boars' in an attempt to let them know what it is they're dealing with.
Jack reports back, the nobleman and the Huntsman are both determined to recover the bod of the stag, and start forward.
What are you doing now?
Gadren shakes his head at the impatience and casts mage armour on himself. "If I can get a spell off before they can react I might be able to snatch several up in a pit."
Maria rolls her neck. "Boars. No big problem. Especially with a pit to stop them charging. Let's do this."
"I'm liking the pit idea. Okay, you heard the lady... let's roll."
Taking just a moment, Lazar invokes his Lady's favor and turns invisible. He then sneaks in to find a good position from where to fire his bow.
[ooc]Ok maybe one at a time into the pit then! ...but yeah thats big[/b]
[smaller]"Maria can I bolster your sword arm with the heroism spell?"
Maria nods. "Do it. Let them come. We'll take them."
"Best have a word with the nobleman... they're advancing."