GM Foxy's Carrion Crown

Game Master Foxy Quickpaw

Halfway between the entrance to the grounds and the prison stands a small brick manor house. It is also overgrown with thick sheets of gray-green ivy. The roof sags ominously. A short glance through the windows reveals that the house is mostly empty. The door is hanging askew.

Herm will open the door, pointing the light from his gauntlet into the entrance room. He will slowly enter the room.

The house was probably a nice one years ago but now everything is dirty or rotten. The roof is leaking leaving the walls moist and with patches of mold in some of the rooms corners. Swallows have built a nest in the common room. Moving in and out through a broken window the leave birds droppings everywhere on the floor.

There are almost no furniture. Only a crooked cupboard remains in the common room. It looks as if everything that could be of some use was removed long ago. Three doors lead to adjacent rooms.

Herm will head to the first door, looking back over his shoulder

"Be at the ready"

Harrold readies his bow and knocks an arrow. Following Herm at about 10 ft. He moves to stand opposite the door. Drawing the string to his cheek he aims at the door. Nodding for Herm to open it.

Amira keeps her dagger out and ready

Herm pushes the door in, Hammer at the ready, gauntlet pointing in the room to light it up.

"Well now we just look silly." Harrold says lowering his bow

"Better to look silly and be prepared than to be caught unaware and die. Let's not worry too much about appearances eh?" Tamara says as she looks around behind her shield. She follows after Herm to the next door. "Let's see the next one. Desna guide my eyes so I don't miss anything important." She prays for guidance on her perception.

perception with guidance: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Herm will smile as Tamara peeps from behind the shield, he will push the door open to the next room, stepping through quickly to allow the others to follow him though and offer back up.

Out of the window one can see the stairs to the western balcony of the prison.

"There are a few coppers under the dresser. I wonder if they've fallen out behind the back of the dresser. Though maybe there is something behind it? We could check. Or we could check out the last room." Tamara looks to her companions for what to do next. She doesn't reach for the coppers as they would be quite awkward to retrieve with all her armor.

Herm will walk over and move the dresser that Tamara is pointing at.

"A cooper saved is a copper earned, or so my grandpappy used to say, mind you I don't think he ever saved a copper though."

If nothing special is in this room Herm will move to the final room then head out.

"I hope there is something in the last room, Desna guide my eyes to what is there." Tamara prays as she follows Herm to search the final room.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

whilst scanning for undead

perception: 1d20 ⇒ 5

Amira scans The room, Everything seems a little to empty

Tamara shakes her head slightly in response. "I don't think so, no one comes here anymore after the fire. I wouldn't expect there to be much of anything here."

As Herm opens the last door the ceiling comes down with the clay, strw and wooden beams falling on the group.
Reflex Save Herm DC 15: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Reflex Save Amira DC 15: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Reflex Save Tamara DC 15: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Reflex Save Harrold DC 15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

As the dust settles only some dust bunnies are chased through the last room by the wind coming in through the broken window. It is empty otherwise.

Isn't normally the same damage roll used for everyone?

"Nooo!" Tamara manages to yell out as the roof caves in, but that's also all she can do as she's much to avoid the falling beam. Intense pain fills her as she's crushed under the heavy debris. For a moment the half-elf closes her eyes as she waits for the end. She's surprised when it doesn't come though and she instead feels just as much pain a few moments later.

"Herm? Harold? Amira? Are you alive?" Since she's not dead her first thought goes to her companions. She doesn't want to lose them such a short time after getting to know them.

Eventually she tries to get up and finds that the remnants of the trog blocks her way. "I'm alive, but badly beaten. Some help getting up would be nice."

Herm coughs a bit, dusting his armor off. "Is everyone ok? I am sorry that that just happened." He will go around and help everyone up if they have fallen and assess for injuries.

"Not quite what I had in mind of what might happen today, I guess we have cleared this place, move on to the Prison?"

With that settled Herm will turn and leave heading towards the prison with the group.

im fine, its only a small scratch amira answers having barely been hit by fallen rubble

Harrold is quick to help the others up With Herm. The worst that happened to him being some dust in his eyes and a desire to sneeze. "Perhaps we shouldn't all stand so close the next time we open a door as well."

"How badly hurt is everyone?"

Tamara's whole body aches as she gets to her feet. "Ouch, that hurt. One of the beams hit me pretty hard. She limps out of the house. "[b]I don't think how close together we stood mattered, the whole roof came down. Though it doesn't hurt to be more careful in the future."

Once everyone are out she looks around at everyone then grabs one of the beautifully carved wooden butterfly from around her neck. Luckily my symbols are still intact. "Desna please fill us with life and seal our wounds so we may continue to do your good bidding." A soft white light flows out from the symbol and washes over everyone, sealing up most of their wounds.

channel positive energy: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Tamara still feels some pain afterwards, but she's much better. I'll manage for now and use the healing when more are hurt. "There, that should be better." She says before following Herm to the prison itself.

Is Herm still shaken?

As the group leaves the manor house and walks towards the prison they notice a broken gargoyle statue lying on the ground to the right of the entrance into the building. It looks suspicious as the halves lie farther apart than one would suspect if it simply fell from the roof.

"Thank you Tamara I am feeling better now, my nerves have settled as well. Do you need assistance with walking?" Herm will offer his harm to her.

After they get closer

"The Gargoyle that killed the professor?"

Herm look around the site a bit more, not really knowing what he should be looking for.

General perception of the area: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

Tamara declines the offer with a soft smile. "Thanks, but no. I'll be fine on my own. Besides, you'll need both hands to swing that giant hammer of yours."

Tamara again prays for guidance. "Desna, guide me." Before she studies the statue with her. "It might be. It looks suspicious as the halves lie further apart than they would if they simply fell down."

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

The gargoyle is broken in the middle. And it looks as if the halves are rolled away in different directions. In the middle of them is a dent in the ground and the statue has encrusted blood on it.

Herm will inspect the foundation of the building, looking at the runes as well. He will go to either side of the building that the rest of the group can see him at, then walk back over to them.\

"there are strange runes that go around the building, never seen such, they have blood smeared all over them as well. Amira have you seen anything like this before?"

"There were tools used at the base of the statue! I'm sure of it. See there!" Tamara is excited about the discovery, but also a bit scared. It means they got confirmation there is a murderer on the loose. "It wasn't an old rotten statue that fell, nor was it some ghost who caused this, but the willful work of man! Now we know what we suspected, the professor was murdered!"

Once Herm reports his findings she'll start scanning for magic. "Desna, please guide my thoughts to rember what I know of these things and reveal to me if these tunes are magical."

Knowledge Religion about the runes with guidance: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Detect magic

Just spit balling here but maybe the gargoyle was actually pushed, magic leave's trace's physical effort doesn't always

"Tools used to loosed the statue, then pushed down? Interesting, we work well as a team for those who have never before."

Herm will move over to inspect the tools and then to the statue pieces.

perception 1st: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
perception 2nd: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Looking around shows that there is another balcony to the right of the building. This one has no stairs leading up - or they are now sunken in the murky pond - but the ivy overgrown wall would be rather easy to climb.

Looks like we climb up, let go Amira anxiously begins climbing up before anyone confirms the plan.
climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

The northern portion of this balcony has crumbled away into a pile of rubble amid the gently rippling waters of a dark pool of water. Ivy hangs down from the walls in thick, matted lengths, while dense tangles of vines decorated with deep red and violet flowers adorn the balcony’s edges above.

As Amira climbs up the wall the flowers emit their pollen.
DC 14 will save to not fall asleep

As Amira climb's she suddenly fall's asleep

will: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Amira falls to the ground and lies there asleep in a yellow cloud of pollen.

Initiative Harrold: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Initiative Herm: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Initiative Amira: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Initiative Tamara: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Initiative Plant: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"We must get Amira to safety, I will distract the plant and someone pull her out."

Herm will move cautiously towards the hanging plant, hammer lashing out to crush a part of the plant.

Hammer: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Confirm Critical Herm: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (4, 3) + 4 = 11

With one mighty swing Herm uproots the plant smashing its stem and ending it. The violent action releases a last cloud of the spores.
DC 14 Will save for Herm too.

will save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Sleep time Amira: 1d3 ⇒ 1 minutes

Earthbreaker is x3 crit, though it obviously didn't matter here.

"What just happened?" Tamara is confused as she goes to shake Amira awake. "The plant attacked her with pollen? I guess it's not just ghosts and people we should be afraid of here. Anything can be dangerous."

Herm nods at Tamara

"This entire place is meant to keep people out, or well it was supposed to be in but that is not case anymore. We will just have to be more careful. Does anyone have experience with strange plant life?"

Herm will pull down what is left of the plant and toss if it off to the side. Looking at the walls, rubbing his chin.

"Not sure I can make it up that wall, we can always take the front door. Just let me go first in case there is another cave in."

How are you working crits?

"Yeah, let's just go through the front door. I don't fancy my chances climbing and I wouldn't want to split up either." Tamara says. She shudders as her thoughts are yet again sent back to splitting away from her father. "Let's just go in the front door." She'll follow after Herm again with her shield at the ready.

Moving up the stairs of the main entrance the group walks through what was once a wide hall flanked by a pair of waiting rooms. But the foyer to Harrowstone now lies in ruins. With little left to hold up the ceiling, the wooden beams above sag dramatically. The wall to the north contains a large pair of oaken doors.

Walking through the door the group comes into a square room. Sturdy wooden doors beckon from every wall. Two to the right and one in every other wall. Streaks of mold stain the walls of this foyer, and the floor below is a thick, gray carpet of fungal growth.

Just as all are inside the room and are looking around badly-burnt faces of shrieking criminals rush out of all of the doors flying towards and through the horrified characters standing there. And all doors slam violently shut. The ghostly faces gone the group now stands in the room all doors closed.

Herm looks around, pure shock on his face. His mouth tightens and he grips his hammer in one hand wooden holy symbol in the other.

"We might be in for quite the night here, I have never seen anything like that, I have heard stories about such things though. Which door do we take first?"

"The one we just came through." Harrold says pointing over his shoulder

"I don't think that is an option now, we have to find out who killed the Professor."

Herm will move towards the first door to his left, awaiting those who want to come to follow him.

Amira meanwhile sleeps quietly