AC 17, 21 on AoO; 8/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round 3, Init 12
Mortimer glances briefly out of the corner of his eye at his right shoulder to make sure his arm is still attached.
I hope this doesn't mean that I have to respect this ... thing now. he thinks as he watches the owlbear keel over.
Apparently unable to hear Tynan or anyone else over the deafening screeches that linger, echo and otherwise bounce through his head even long after they've ceased, Mortimer says, "Heads up -- there's another Screechy Thing still within the farmstead."
Let's just hope it's a baby uh -- thing," he says, looking at his partially mangled arm. He cautiously heads North in search of the accursed creature.
You pass an opaque, yet surprisingly-still-intact, window on the east facade. When you gain the corner, you can see a doorway on the north side. Big enough for a largish owl-bear monstrosity to gain entrance.
Round 3, Init 14
Rae pulls herself together and moves towards the noise.
"I guess we better check." Gods, what will we do with a baby bearowlthing?"
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 18/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round 3, Part II, Init 12
Round 3, Init 9
Sol moves up 20' and puts away her long sword, sliding it into the sheath at her back.
"Oh Rae! That was fun, wasn't it?"
AC=19
HP=17/20
Right hand = empty
Left hand = hvy shield
"I'm not sure I would say "fun" exactly."
"Rae, if that's not fun, what is? Besides, those colored feathers looked cute on you."
As you pass the doorway, taking up positioning on the west side of the entrance, you can see a fledgling owlbear huddled in the corner of the room. It eyes you warily.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 8/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round 3, Init 12
If there's some trace of BigBird heading west, he'll turn to the party, point to the fledgling, and sink his hand palm-down to his knee, then go tearing off West around the remains of the structure in search of Big Bird.
If he hears nothing and sees no tracks, he'll slam his shoulder into the wall in an effort to provoke something. Hopefully, he'll make enough noise without breaking completely through.
for if something other than Fledgling comes tearing out.
If Fledgling attacks him, he'll hold out his arm to it's head to keep it at bay crying "Get it off me! Get it off me!"
Failing that, he'll leave the Fledgling and rejoin the others to report.
Raella joins Mortimer at the doorstep. As the giant's shadow crosses the doorway, he's able to make out the fledgling-cub in the back corner of the room. Solrisa follows her sister, chatting happily of feathers and fun. Pillette moves up to inspect the dead owlbear, impressed by the size differential.
There do appear to be tracks smeared with blood, ranging off to the north from the farmstead, small and big alike, owlbear and man intertwined.
Round: 4, Initiative: 16
Weapon Equipped = Sling (cold iron bullets)
Cold Iron Bullets (5/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = Blessed (4/20r)
Channel Energy (1/5) (1d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +1, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 2, Concentration +6)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (0/5) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Liberating Command
Ascaria double moves to see the Mort and Rae by the doorway. He desperately wants to heal the pair, but he’s out of actions.
Round 4, Init 15
Tynan moves to the beast, recovers his throwing daggers, and continues toward the corner of the building.
AC:16(F:12, T:14); HP:12/16; Saves:F3,R7,W1
Round 4, init 14
"Sshhh, something's still moving around, Sol. And feathers are for pillows, not wearing. "
Rae moves forward cautiously, seeking the next feathered threat.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 8/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round 4, Init 12
"Hey Rae -- wait! Look!" he rasps, pointing to the bloodied track pair heading North.
"A pair of humanoid feet, and a pair of BirdBear feet wandering off North in a trail of blood. Does that look fresh to you? Maybe we should check it out first, before going in?"
He starts tracking, slowly following the blood trail North, looking up occasionally to see if he can detect any movement to the north.
As you enter the farmstead, your sense of smell is assaulted by the salt and sting of blood, which seems to slather underneath the collapsed portion of the first floor.
The fledgling-cub regards you in silence, its head tilting subtly, first clockwise, then counterclockwise. It stands roughly 3' tall, likely weighing 100 lbs already. Its pupils are firmly dilated, and the nictitating membranes whip only once as it studies you. It remains in the corner, watching you.
The tracks don't travel far from the farmstead, revealing a grisly scene. Through a fair number of trees, you find another mature owlbear, dead, with two slain fedgling-cubs. A single severed human arm lays at the side of the large carcass. It bears a distinctive tattoo on its forearm. (almost like this- 7H') There are no further tracks that lead in any direction other than this location. In summary, there are owlbear tracks, both young and old, and human tracks made by more than one human.
Round 4, Init 9
Sol moves up 40' and looks.
** spoiler omitted **
Round 4, Init 12
"Hey Rae -- wait! Look!" he rasps, pointing to the bloodied track pair heading North.
Rae follows behind Mort, ready to run if anything attacks, but trying not to get in his way, nor give away his position.
The uncollapsed part of the farmstead reeks of blood and rend. Light filters into the space, revealing a single fledgling-cub in the back corner of the first floor backroom.
The stairs are collapsed, the windows dirty and opaque. Under the collapsed ceiling at the front, there are signs of slaughter, smears of carnage passing from one side of the center wall to the other.
The trackers stumble upon a grisly scene. Through a fair number of trees, you find another mature owlbear, dead, with two slain fedgling-cubs. A single severed human arm lays at the side of the large carcass. It bears a distinctive tattoo on its forearm. (almost like this- 7H') There are no further tracks that lead in any direction other than this location. In summary, there are owlbear tracks, both young and old, and human tracks made by more than one human.
Sol moves up in to look in the de-mort-ished house.
"What do you think happened to those who lived here? It's not likely that the featherbears got them, right?" Sol wonders aloud.
As Ascaria sees the carnage, and the fledgling, he erupts, "Parliament of Owls! What is this? What do we do with this?" he gestures to the baby will-be killer.
He walks along the bloody path to what he presumes was a combat sight.
"Maybe this is mom, and she was trying to get her children out, but was hunted down by some adventurers who, badly wounded, escaped via some means we cannot see."
He shakes his head, "That doesn't make any sense. Why would mom leave one behind?"
"This is a bloody scene, and one I cannot make sense of. The obvious remains though - we have a child who will grow up to be a nasty predator. What do we do with that?"
He shakes his head and gathers his pipe. He hunts a while for tobacco, but eventually finds it and lights it with a Spark. He puffs his pipe a while and looks to the others.
The owlbear cub can fetch as much as 3000gp to the right buyer, who would likely train it as property guardian.
The symbol is the imprint of Garavin Vesst, a greedy mine manager who branded his employees with it as a badge of status. Vesst was bankrupted by Balabar Smenk years ago, and died early last year. The branded workers were little more than slaves to Garavin Vesst, and view their current service to Smenk as a privilege.
Sol moves up in to look in the de-mort-ished house.
"What do you think happened to those who lived here? It's not likely that the featherbears got them, right?" Sol wonders aloud.
"No, no, I'm sure the people that lived here were long gone by the time the feathers got here."Rae offers, though she really has no clue.
"It was probably some bandit or something. The gods sometimes do that, you know, toss bad people into bad situations so that they are punished for their badness and other people don't have to do it." She used to do this when they were young too, tell Sol anything, just to try to answer the endless curiosity.
Solrisa looks around at the carnage. She smiles at her sister for her answers....which lead to more questions.
"Not sure what happened here," Sol says. "Should we bury these along with the bones?"
Ascaria's eyes open wide as he looks at the owlbear cub. "I don't know what we want to do here, but we can probably sell this little guy to the right buyer for upwards of 3,000gp! Now that I think on it a little, someone could train it to be a guard."
He studies the tattoo "Hrm. Looks like the mark Graven Vesst used to brand his employees with." he turns to the others, "He was a mine manager, real greedy bastard. Didn't like me in the mines at all 'cause he was worried the miners were slipping me stuff. Real nice-guy" he says sarcastically.
"Vesst was bankrupted by Balabar Smenk and died last year." Ascaria smiles. "Anyway, it doesn't tell us who it is, just narrows it down to a miner in a village full of 'em."
Sol's eyes perk up with an idea, adding Ascaria's info together.
"Maybe those miners were here to make a bit of extra coin on their own...trying to capture the babies? Is that possible?"
"Sure, that makes sense to me." Idiots.
"Huh. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that tattoo, though, Ascaria."
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 18/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Mortimer looks over the owlbear and human carnage, an expression of consternation ever growing on his face.
"Does anyone else find it odd that the trail just ends right here? I mean, where's the rest of him?" he asks, pointing to the arm. "Where'd they all go? We're missing something."
He listens to the others speculate as they walk back to the farmstead.
"We should probably not bury them with Alastor's bones, but we could bury them if you wanted -- maybe in situ. Alastor belongs with the rest of his family. They rest over there." he says, pointing to the copse of trees to the West. "Maybe we'll find some more clues in the cemetery."
He grabs the shovel propped up just inside the door and heads toward the cemetery.
Solrisa follows Mort, not understanding what has happened. She does however, kick about the corpses looking for gems or things of interest that might be useful in her stonework.
Solrisa is happy to take her turn at digging...because digging is fun.
As Mort and Solrisa make their way down the path by the bluff, a copse of immense deklo trees finally reveals an opening into a small, quiet clearing just where Alastor said it would be.
Five grave markers stand in the clearing, each with a different name: Anders, Bemissa, Coldaran, Gertia, and Alastor. Open pits yawn in front of all five headstones. Piles of fresh dirt and a pair of abandoned shovels suggest that the excavation took place recently, certainly within the week.
Tynan walks around the homestead, first looking at the the young creature which took up residence in the family house, then at the carnage where beasts and body-snatchers apparently battled, and finally at the now empty graves.
Tynan shakes his head in disbelief at the whole situation.
"Anyway, it doesn't tell us who it is, just narrows it down to a miner in a village full of 'em."
"Well, it actually narrows it down to one armed miners. With the severity of the injury, if he IS still alive and in in Diamond lake, then my guess is he's either under the care of a healer or chirurgeon, or was taken to the temple for magical assistance." Tynan pauses. "IF he's still alive..."
"Ghosts and grave-robbers... what have we stumbled into?"
Ascaria shakes his head and whistles low at the site of the open graves. He walks up to them and peers inside to be sure they are in fact empty.
He turns back to the party. "This just doesn't make any sense to me." he kicks a little dirt into Alastor's grave. "Do you think he still wants to be buried here without his family? I say we get 'em back - this is not right."
He turns to Mort who found the tracks that led them this far, "Do you see any tracks leading away? With four bodies there should be something."
"Do you think he still wants to be buried here without his family? I say we get 'em back - this is not right."
Solrisa look at Ascaria.
"Oh, Ascaria, that's sweet. We should stop our lives and do nothing other than track this down. We must find out what happened to his parents! How can he rest after we tell him what happened here?" Sol agrees.
Rae groans as the day goes from bad to worse...
"Or, we could, you know, not tell him. He's a kid, right? It wouldn't hurt to just let him rest." and let the rest of us get on with our lives....
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 18/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
At the site of the open graves, Mortimer drops to his knees helplessly.
Alastor said he'd been there as a ghost for a long time. This is not the scene I was expecting. How exactly is he cursed? Either he's not who he says he is or ... he is and ... his internal thoughts end there and suddenly aloud he asks:
"Does anyone know if haunts can possess other haunts?" No, that's ridiculous. He shakes his head and ruefully adds, "Sorry, I don't know what to think."
He turns to Ascaria.
"Do you still have those notes? Are the names on the grave markers here the same as the ones carved into the cave wall just outside the space Alastor haunts?"
"Do you think he still wants to be buried here without his family? I say we get 'em back - this is not right."
"As far as Alastor the Boy is concerned, I think that would be a grave mistake." He winces at his own unintended pun.
He kneels there for a few minutes lost in thought.
"I think maybe we should take those drawings Ascaria did of the Warrior's symbols -- and his other notes -- and see what we can find out about them -- who might have built that Sarcophagus, what sort of curse Alastor might be suffering from -- and how this place is involved."
At Ascaria's query, Mortimer scours for tracks.
He shakes his head. "Sorry Ascaria. My head hurts -- can't concentrate. Maybe someone else should try?"
"Your head hurts! Why does your head hurt?" Ascaria looks at the tall man, "Oh, it's because you have blood streaming from it!"
He gathers the party together, and tries to heal all their injuries at once.
He frowns, "That's the last of it."
"I suggest we head back to town. Rae, you and Mort need to let me tend your wounds this afternoon - see what my fingers can do now that my magic is empty. Then I'll ask around about these names. We can ask around about a one armed miner too." he holds up the list of children's names from the wall and points to the arm.
"Maybe we can meet at breakfast tomorrow and discuss what we learned?"
- - -
(healer's kit) --> Mort is not healed
(healer's kit) --> Rae is healed 3hp
- - -
Later that afternoon/evening Ascaria will move around town asking folks about a one armed miner and his little list of names.
He works the bars and taverns until late in the night asking his questions - only returning home after an exhaustive evening. He collapses into his bed above Tidwoad's shop and falls fast asleep. Assuming of course we're not jumped in the graveyard by undead pixies or something...
As agreed upon, Solrisa removes the bones from her backpack and chooses he nicest grave for Ghoststor. She lays the bones in nicely (if one can do so...) to make it seem like Ghoststor is resting peacefully.
Know (Religion)
She says a prayer to The Dragon over his bones and before she buries them.
"O Lord, who made the dragon, and the dragon's open sky,
And gave to me a dragon's soul; a dragon's urge to fly--
Let me dance within your cloudscapes far beyond Earth's chain,
Let me rejoice in my grandeur, let me not grow vain!
Let me vindicate my honor with my fang and claw,
Let my raging heart show mercy, let that show no flaw!
Let me have the joy of all the shining gold I've stored,
Let no pauper-dragon go forth starving from my hoard.
And, Lord, should the need arise and I be called to fight,
Dragon-Maker, make me victor, and, God--help that knight!"
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 18/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Mortimer recoils in horror as Solrisa pulls bones from her backpack preparing to bury them in the one grave she thinks is the nicest.
"Sol! Didn't I just say I thought burying Alastor here might be a 'grave mistake'? Don't you think it's odd that these graves are just laid out recently?! Besides -- that's not even the fresh grave marked out for him!"
Sol smiles at Mortimer.
"Oh, that's a good one, Mort!" Sol laughs and keeps digging. "We made a deal with the boy and I intend on seeing it through. If you don't like this spot, you'll welcome to dig him up and move him after I finish. I won't lie to the boy...it would be rather rude to change the deal now."
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 18/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
"We made a deal with the boy and I intend on seeing it through."
"As do I" says Mortimer, trying to intervene and stay her shovel. "But stop, please. Why do you insist on this one? Wouldn't it be better to just dig our own grave for Alastor? I'll be more -- personal that way. From all of us to him."
Cursory inspection of the Land cemetary reveals wheelbarrow grooves leading into and away from the path up and past the farmstead. Mort isn't able to sort out the story told in crossed footprints, but there are plenty of tracks to observe.
The grave markers of three of the family members, Bemissa, Coldaran, and Gertia, all bear a four-petal flower motif.
The flower symbol represents the Red Death, and those who died from that wretched disease. The plague savaged much of Egorian's southern lands, and Diamond Lake was no exception, getting struck roughly 19 years ago.
Each marker indicates years of birth and death- Anders(4685-4718), Bemissa(4688-4730), Coldaran(4704-4730), Gertia(4717-4730). Alastor's marker also displays years, 4705-4717.
The four graves marked Anders, Bemissa, Coldaran, and Gertia all share a similar attribute- the sides of their holes appear flattened in places, as if something were scraped along the sides, tamping down the dirt of the walls. Alastor's hole in the ground is simply that- a newly dug hole.
As Mortimer and Ascaria compare names of cave etchings to gravestone markers, they find no similarities.
Tynan looks at the dates on the gravestones, and sees that Alastor died in 4717. He lets out a low whistle.
"Alastor's been dead for thirty years... poor kid. I can't imagine what it's been like for him all this time."
Tynan looks at Sol, carefully arranging his remains. "Take good care of him Solrisa. I'm going to go make a quick check for tracks where the beasts were killed... see if I can spot where the grave-robbers went."
Tynan returns to the clearing, and examines the area.
There are tracks of five booted Medium humans who walked all around the graves and eventually dug in their heels, concentrating their weight around the graves. The individuals who left these tracks walked off to explore the farmstead, it appears. Four of them seem to have come back very quickly, leaving for the road immediately thereafter.
Tynan examines the area around the open graves, making out seven sets of footprints. One is the gigantic set of Mort's, and another is the prints of the ever-sweetly stepping Solrisa. The other five sets show that they were responsible for the exhumations.
"There were five people here who dug up the family graves, then they headed off to explore the rest of the farm."
Tynan follows the tracks as they lead toward the homestead, then four sets turn and run back toward the road.
"It looks as it they went to check out the rest of the farm, and apparently stumbled onto the owlbeasts. Four sets of tracks made a hasty retreat back to the road, here. That leaves one who didn't survive, apparently."
AC:16(F:12, T:14); HP:14/16; Saves:F3,R7,W1
Ascaria whistles low as he examines the graves, "You see that flower? That means they died of the red death. The plague savaged much of Egorian's southern lands, and Diamond Lake was no exception, getting struck roughly 19 years ago. It was pretty horrible. I was very young then, but I do remember a little."
He looks back at the party, "Why would someone want plague infested bodies?"
"Yeah, Sol, let's hold off on burying the kid for a moment. If they tried to exhume his body too they may be back and try again. Poor kid's waited 30 years, he can wait another day or two."
"I'd hate to lose his bones and have him haunting this place - or worse us - for another 30 years. Do you mind carrying them a bit further? I'm sure he appreciates it."
"Yeah, Sol, let's hold off on burying the kid for a moment. If they tried to exhume his body too they may be back and try again. Poor kid's waited 30 years, he can wait another day or two."
Sol smiles at Ascaria.
"Are you having a jest with me?" Sol asks laughing, sure that's she again the only one not in on the joke. "They dug him up already, found nothing....and you think they will be back to try again? That's even when they know about the 'bears now?"
Sol titters and waits for Ascaria to let her in on the joke.
Ascaria twists his face in a knot as he tries to find the humor, but he fails. "No, no jest Sol, I'm serious. We don't know why they tried to dig him up. Or who 'they' are even. I doubt the 5 souls who did the actual digging are the masterminds behind this. Whoever is could just send more guys."
"Sol just wait a day or two huh? At least until tomorrow." he looks up at Sol with pleading eyes, "Please?"
"I know this is unconventional, but maybe we could bury him here, near the family plot, but discretely in an unmarked grave. That way, if the grave robbers do come back for whatever reason, he wont be found and can finally rest in peace. He'll be back home, and safe, and can move on to the afterlife. How does that sound?"
Ascaria thinks a moment and shrugs. "I suppose that works for me. We should do what we can to disguise the grave though when we're done, you know, so it's not obvious someone dug there."
"But yeah, that could work. If we get the other bodies, we can always rebury them next to the little guy, or move him back to his own grave."
Ascaria steps back. "Go for it!"
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 8/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
"Why would someone want plague infested bodies?"
"Were they just after the bones maybe? Not sure how much of a body -- plague infested or otherwise -- would be left after nineteen years. What can you do with human bones, though?"
I wonder if there are bone sniffing dogs, like mushroom sniffing dogs.
"I know this is unconventional, but maybe we could bury him here, near the family plot, but discretely in an unmarked grave."
Mortimer considers this again for a moment.
"Uhhdunno. I really don't want to loose the bones! What if they do come back and find them?! Burying him in an unmarked grave might also defeat the purpose. Shouldn't it be a proper grave at least? I wouldn't be comfortable myself with an unmarked one -- I don't think Alastor could rest with it either."
He turns to Sol.
"I really just want the boy to be at peace. I really just want to do this right. I think the current circumstances have trumped us from being able to carry that through right at this moment. Sol -- what do you think? What do you really want?"