"Fair enough Niamh. Let's wait to see what information our cat friend brings back to us."
Upon recognizing the form as just a dead body, Kylar's form slumps slightly in disappointment.
"It's just a dead body." he calls out to the group. "Probably safe."
With that he moves over to the body and rifles through what's left.
Niamh cocked her head to the side and lifted her hand from where it had been resting on her sword hilt.
"Dead body? What kind of dead body and why is it dead?"
Picking her way over the rocky shoreline, she moved to join Kylar.
You find nothing on the body, but discern a mwk shortsword and a coin pouch with 87 GP lying off to side in the bushes. You notice that the coins look newly minted from the capital city of Tamran; they bear the likeness of Forest Marshal Gavirk, nominal leader of Nirmathas. You also notice that 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.
Upon olfactory and visual inspection, you are able to ascertain that the man has been dead for a few months. You find huge bite marks all over his torso, and it appears that whatever bit him injected a poison that made the corpse unsuitable for scavengers.
As you approach the body, a gleam in the bushes catches your eye. Upon inspection, you discover that it is a mwk dagger, apparently flung from the body during the fight with whatever killed it.
Perc:
Heal:
K(local):
Caundur moves to the nearby bushes and plucks a dagger from the brush.
"Well, whatever happened here, I doubt anyone will be missing this. Is there anything of interest on the body itself?"
Joeepi closes the distance between Niamh, Kylar, Caundur, and himself. He then scans the area surrounding the body with Detect Magic.
You detect no magic.
"Hmmm, might as well see that all the commotion is about. These fellows clearly haven't learned the value in a well thought out plan. Yet."
Kurgryn goes to join the party near the shadowy figure.
"I don't sense any magic around. If there's nothing of interest around the body I suggest we keep moving. There's no sense in idling... waiting for whatever it was to come back."
"Agreed. We've found.. a dead body. Unless something of clear and major interest draws us off course, I think it best we press on to our objective.
After quickly pocketing the gold and sword Kylar turns towards the rest of the party.
"I agree with Ilamin. This just looks to be a poor soul from a foreign city that was found out of his element. I wonder what had him out here though..."
As Kylar attempts to pocket the gold he found on the body, it makes a loud chinking sound that is heard by everyone else.
"Whoever the poor bastard was, something large and nasty used him as a chew toy. And given that scavengers haven't picked him clean long ago, probably venomous to boot. If whatever did this is still in the area we need to be careful."
"I agree with Niamh. I don't see anything of interest around here anymore unless anyone would like to try fishing at the lake."
"My feline friend, were you just going to keep that treasure for yourself, or am I correct in my accusations of you and your colleague the elf?"
"Why he's a damned little thief is what he is."
"Woah, hold on there. I was highly inclined to agree with your statement, up until you grouped me in on this. I've yet to conceal anything from any of you on this journey, and all I have taken for myself is a dagger. I would have offered to split it with the party, but these sorts of things tend to work so much better in one piece, as a blacksmith such as yourself should know full well."
"Woah there! I didn't see you risk your life to get this stuff. And besides, I am happy to share wealth with my family or friends should they but ask me or show need of it. Unfortunately for you, Kurgryn Orc-Slayer, you are neither at the moment."
"Well I sure didn't see you going to any great lengths to inform the rest of us to your findings. I'm only trying to make sure things are fair for the group."
"Very well dwarf. If you want your cut now I'll give it to you." With that Kylar drops 10 gold at Kurgryn's feet. Kylar raises his voice to be heard by everyone. "In the interest of fairness for the group, I found some gold coins on the dead man. If you would like a share of it right now, feel free to let me know. Otherwise, I will be happy to hold onto it until your time of need or want."
"You'll have to be more sneaky next time. I'll take my share."
"I know you 'risked your life' jumping through all those trees, while those of us who played it safe only walked straight up to the body, but I think I'll go ahead and take my fair share."
"Very well. I will give both of you "your fair share" of the gold." Kylar hands 10 gold pieces to Joeepi, then 10 to Caundur. "If this matter is settled I suggest we continue on. Unless someone would like to help me fish the lake."
Rather than looting the dead wanderer's pockets, Kion had contented himself with plucking the strings of his lute, thinking, "I may not be the most noble or brave, but I know better than to thieve a grave." Occasionally, he would perk his ears at a comment or two, but ultimately, the pocket size of a dead man did not align with his interests.
"Fish the lake? I'd rather not. Normally, Catfolk, I would be more than willing to swim, but not with a corpse disturbing the peace. I say we move on. We've been at this too long already. I know we've only been here for about an hour, but with all the greed and death in the air, it has felt like three weeks!"
He then strums on his lute. "I'm also thinking of singing a song until we can all agree to move it along. As much as I know you enjoy my singing, trust me: this song will leave your ears a'ringing!"
Leaving the Gray Lake behind, you begin to travel through the forest once more. The trees begin to look more and more old and gnarled as you move through this part of the forest. About an hour into the forest, a cold rain begins to fall, lightly at first, but quickly becomes harder. After traveling through the rain for another two hours, you finally reach the valley that, according the map, contains the Crypt.
Here 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. With the rain still falling, the ground is slick and treacherous. This part of the Fangwood is particularly dense, making it a thorn-covered maze of bushes, treacherous roots, and uneven rocks. The map calls this valley Serpent Gorge and marks the Crypt at its bottom. Getting there, however, will prove to be a challenge.
Acrobatics checks :
Kylar manages to successfully navigate most of the slope before losing his footing on the last part of the descent. Upon reaching the bottom Kylar quickly rights himself and tries to cover up any trace of his error. "Ugh, rain ruins everything." he pouts.
Reflex Save :
Blades and pack secured to leave her hands free, Niamh steps forward to begin her own descent.
Acrobatics Check:
Midway down the slope, a patch of loose gravel sends her foot skidding from beneath her. Twisting desperately as she begins to slide, she flings her arm out and manages to sink her claws into the trunk of a nearby sapling and catch herself, the claws of her other hand digging into the earth beneath her. Righting herself with care, Niamh picks her way to the valley floor with renewed caution, using the branches and boulders to brace herself rather than relying on footing alone.
When the earth beneath her feet finally flattens and smoothes, Niamh joins Kylar and begins trying to remove the worst of the mud from her clothing while those still on the hill search for the surest path to their destination.
Acrobatics Check:
Acrobatics check:
Kion scours the hill's surface for a loose patch of mud. Once found, he jumps and rides the muddy patch all the way to the crypt.
Acrobatics check:
Once down, he says, "Mud sliding was one of our favorite pastimes in my hometown. Of course, we could only do it when it was pouring down rain and our parents weren't watching."
Reflex:
Caundur's footing slips as he attempts to descend. Perhaps fortunately, a tree is slightly below him and quickly ceases his fall with its large trunk.
Joeepi, however, does not have the luck of the trees on his side. He steps onto a rock that gives out beneath him, sending him careening down to the bottom of the ravine.
Caundur damage:
Joeepi damage:
Joeepi sprained ankle:
Reflex:
Ilamin, seeing Joeepi and Caundur fall, momentarily loses both his concentration and footing. He slides through a pair of thickets and lands hard on some rocks .
Ilamin damage:
Kion, seeing Joeepi's truly pitiful fall, leaps to Joeepi's side and outstreches his hands, waving them in a circular motion and casting Cure Light Wounds:
"Thank you, Undine... I was beginning to fear the worst."
Reflex save:
Reflex Save:
One loose patch of ground is all it takes to send the burly dwarf rolling all the way down the side of the slope. Kurgryn slams into a rock at the bottom .
Upon reaching the bottom of the ravine, you are greeted with a grisly scene. 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.
Caundur takes in the scene:
Perception Check :
Heal Check: