The magic bolt from the mage damages a rat, but the magic stones fail to connect with the tiny creatures.
The rats bite at Dvalin and two of them nip the dwarf
Yarask then attacks and the dagger hits the disembodied rat and the magic is sufficient to kill it.
Round 1
Dolgrym
Ogden
Boram
Aargh
Rats
Tegnar
Yarask
Dvalin
Round 2
Dolgrym
Ogden
Boram
Aargh
3 rats, one injured
Dvalin realizes he just stupidly stepped right into the rats nest from which all the rats emerged and started biting him. Taking a step back, he attempts to hit the one wounded by Aggh's missile with his dagger.
Having stepped away from the rats, Dvalin knows if they try and follow to attack him again they will need to give him another opening to attack them.
Ogden groans, not knowing what else to do. He moves forward and swings his outstretched palm at a rat.
Hearing the continued combat, Tegnar drops his axe and shield and readies his longspear preparing to move back into the room and attack from a safe distance.
I hope the corpse has information we can use, or were paying a high price for nothing as he leans on his walking stick, back from the fighting Boram tries to encourage his clanmates. "Be careful gentleman, the more weapons we can bring to bear on them the less one person should get bitten. We need to end them now, if we come back later they could spawn more, yeah?"
Yarask activates his dagger and prepares for a lethal swipe. Ogden misses grabbing a rat, and the magic stones have yet to connect.
Thinking better of moving, Dvalin holds his ground
Two rats bite Dvalin, and his weakened response fails to connect. A rat is smashed by Yarask and Ogden touches a third, shattering the rat with a holy light as his body explodes. The last rat bites at Dvalin again before the raging Yarask hits it with the dagger and slices it to bits. Weakened by the rats, Dvalin feels very weak.
Combat Over
The dwarves do finally clear the room and find the body has........
A sturdy set of breast plate (in good condition) a wand that has thong around it, which Aargh identifies as a healing wand , a fine silver dagger, a red gold holy symbol Ogden identifies as that of Nulgreth the blood god, and six small onyx gems.
Boram and Dvalin need help to leave with their gear as the rats have left them quite weak. The sun is almost exactly overhead, the day not even half over yet, and you consider returning to town.
Disgusting! Someone has left their underwear around this wand!
"Blah. I don't need help. I'm fine. Carry the hobbit if you want to help someone!"
Slowly, and clearly weakened, Dvalin carries his own gear limping back to town.
Dolgrym picks up the halfling's pack. "I think we should be heading back to town now. Hopefully we'll be able you help out those weakened by those creatures."
well at least we got rid of the vermin, never gonna have a pet rat again, that’s for certain Seeing the dwarves have been successful Boram ask, ”Can we tell who tha corpse was and what he was doing here?” As the dwarves get ready to leave, Boram, leaning heavily on his walking stick thanks Dolgrym ”Thanks for carrying my pack Dolgrym, I should be able to make it using my trusty shillelagh for support.” Turning to the rest of the clan he asks ”Do you gentlemen think we have enough evidence or should we check this last door?” Pointing to the door directly west, which they haven’t opened yet.
We are in no condition if that cube monster is back there. Augier helps gather the items up for carrying back.
Before he can move back into the room, the fighting ends. Tegnar picks his axe and shield up and readies them.
"Great job taking care of the rats. Let's get back to town so we can regain our strength. What did the corpse have on it?"
Heading back to town the dwarves find a large group gathered in the Longhouse, the barracks where the guards reside. In their headquarters the guards have their own common room where the young boy you saw earlier, Ruby, Rock, a somewhat intoxicated Omast, and three or the town militia are having a heated discussion.
As you walk in Ruby is explaining to Omast: "Maybe the dwarves have claim to the platinum they took from Othdan. Rock says it was minted by his clan."
You can tell by the expressions that the Othdan has told his story, and his story did not cast you in a favorable light. As you enter, Ruby speaks: "Othdan has told his story, and we are mustering the guard. What happened in the Plague House?"
Yarask gives the boy a grin, happy to see him safely home despite the less than amicable encounter they had earlier:"What's happening? What's happening is that orcs are nesting inside the plaguehouse among a lot of vermin, and there... there we found this!"
so saying Yarask gives Ruby Rodrick's hpeknife.
"We knew something wasn't right about Rodrick's death since we found that note. Now it seems he was killed because he knew too much, I'm sorry child, but it's better you know the truth and prepare because whoever did that is still at large and planning something nefarious against Trunau! I suggest we warn Halgra and raise the alarm: orcs are ready to invade!"
Augier turns to the others Let us give the lad some coins, will help smooth things over.
There is indeed orc trouble afoot, our friends do need some help since some foul strength sapping rats bit them.
"Best watch that one carefully. As he surely told you, we found him in the basement of the plague house. After seeing orcs stalk around and finding Rodriks knife. Straight out refused to answer any questions we asked and instead tried to run from us, with a bag of platinum he got who knows where-from. I say, show him to the innkeep and ask if it was him that checked in before Rodriks death, because I'm not buying his story, whatever he may have told you. On the slim chance he's innocent, keep that safe for him until it's verified he had nothing to do with what happened. We all need to be careful, no matter if that means some toes get stepped on. More lives may be at stake."
With these words, Dvalin tries to throw the little bag of platinum coins that were gathered up on the table, but his throw falls short, and it falls on the floor. With a pained expression on his face, Dvalin stumbles over, picks it up painfully slow, and puts it on the table in front of Ruby, looking her in the eyes with a look that says she's the only one on that table he trusts with that bag.
Then he turns around and limps up to his room, not feeling hungry despite his weakness, and not having a taste for ale either, instead trying to find sleep early.
"The boy the killer... really? Dvalin... are you out of your blasted mind?
Yarask sighs, clearly unused to be the voice of reason yet finding himself forced to intervene in order to reduce the potential damage caused by Dvalin's words:"I take you all know Othdan right? If so I suppose Cham would have recognized him and our mysterious killer would not have been mysterious at all. So Othdan... why don't you explain us how and why you found yourself trapped in the plaguehouse?"
Boram, following the Dwarves into the room,he slowly works his way to the front, leaning heavily on his cane. When he gets close enough that he can be seen and heard in his injured condition he smiles at Ruby and nods to Rock and begins talking. "Folks of Trunau, are you more upset that there were orcs an trolls in tha plague house and they hid the weapon used ta kill yer friend" then pointing to the boy and continuing "Or more upset that this cheaky fellow got his feelings hurt by a dwarf?" pulling up a stool and sitting down, after he got himself situated he continues with his narrative.
"Since our boy here is offended with the dwarves let me give you tha account." looking at Othdan square in the face he continues the narrative. "We went into the 'plague house' killed some vermin tha rest fled. Found tha 'hope knife' hidden there. As we waited tha night out we witnessed trolls and orcs..." Boram paused for a moment so the effect of what he said could register on the faces of the good people of Trunau. Satisfied with the delay he continued "That's right trolls an orcs were involved in tha killing of Rodrick, so when we continued into tha basement the next morning ya can understand we were a little jumpy." stopping for a moment he wipes his forehead off with the back of his hand and then continues. "Now this is where tha boy and I come in. I was checkin doors like a good burglar aught too and I opened tha door ta what appeared to be tha dilapidated furnace room an right there was this boy" pointing to Othdan with his walking stick. "He was sitting there in tha dark, holding that bag o' coins. Now after seeing tha trolls an orcs, the dwarves weren't in a real trusting mood, especially us knowin tha killer was a human. But I ignored the dwarves and invited tha boy to come out of the dark. I offered him food and water and asked him, real polite-like to tell us his story. He then jumps up and tries ta run off." Boram stops and looks at the humans and then continues. "I know what yer thinkin 'but the boy don't look like trouble' well folks neither do I and I promise ya, I am. Also we knew the killer was human, so being jumpy Dvalin tripped him with his axe and grabbed the bag to try and keep tha boy from runnin of into tha pitch black." Looking at the boy again, Boram asks "What were ya thinkin lad, knowin what ya did about tha room, runnin off into the black like that?" Pointing back over his shoulder at Yarask with his walking stick, and continuing. "So our good friend and fellow Trunau-ite Yarask escorted the boy out and then came back to help us secure the basement.' As Boram wraps up his account he looks back at the boy then the other humans. "Now I'm not normally suspicious of folks, but when I found tha boy holdin his bag of coins, sittin in the dark for gods know how long. Not wanting food or water goin on about platinum, I was a little concerned, It was pitch black in that furnace room, coal and broken bricks all over tha place. I'm a pretty good burglar, I don't know that I could have found the bag in there in tha dark like that. Then runnin off into the pitch black, and us just seeing trolls and orcs, he's lucky all he got was tripped."
Boram hops down off the stool, leaning heavily on his walking stick he turns back around and adds "while he was runnin off, we were fighting undead, if you's have a healer that can help get our wounded better you may want ta send 'em over. Your gonna need all tha help ya can get when tha trolls and orcs return." Boram then toddles to the room he slept in previously and goes to bed.
Ogden nods to confirm Boram's story, helping to reiterate events and smooth things over.
Ogden keeps the money after Dvalin leaves the room. It belongs to dwarves not human boys wandering in places they don't belong. If anyone objects, he informs them that they are relinquishing rightful dwarven property, and none of them are dwarves. He does attempt to smooth over the issue with the boy, pointing out a tip to him to avoid acting with so much bravado to one's saviors and not answering simple questions and running when asked.
He also asks if the guard has claimed use of a healer who might be able to help the weakened dwarves who's injuries were sustained doing their job.
Omast nods as Boram gives his story. Ogden helps out, and confirms some points, he then takes the platinum coins, claiming that it is dwarven property.
Before anyone can say anything, Ruby puts up a hand: "I'll make things right with Othdan."
Omast seems quite agitated at Yarask's words, and nods to the hopeknife on the table. "Rodrik did not commit suicide. I did not let him down. We are already mustering the guard. We will also have Rodrik's funeral tomorrow at sunset at the Flame of the Fallen. You dwarves are all invited as you have proven one of our best did not take the cowards way out. I thank you."
He adds: "The boy spotted a meeting of a pair of half orcs and a pair of trolls. One of the half orcs knocked him out and locked him up in a room without food or water or light for three days. He thought you were going to kill him for his treasure of 55 platinum, which is quite a bit of wealth. He wanted to get outside as soon as possible and get away when you were not going to let him keep the treasure he found. It appears in all things, Othdan was right. He is a remarkable boy, maybe even a man."
He takes the hopeknife from Ruby and looks at it with a keen eye as he tests its balance then hands it to Othdan. "This should make up the difference for you boy. Carry it with pride. Consider this your ceremony a year early. You always liked Rodrik, you might as well have his hopeknife."
This seems to make Othdan happy and he nods.
Omast mentions to Rock: "You may want to visit the temple of Iomedae. If you are not of their order, you may have to pay for their services."
Othdan smiles and hands Yarask a small bead. "This bead I lifted from my captors kept me warm and gave me light while locked away. I want you to have it."
Aura faint evocation; CL 1st
Slot none; Price 720 gp; Weight —
Description
This tiny glass bead transforms itself into a small (2-foot-tall) pile of burning logs whenever its command word is spoken. The fire burns for 8 hours or until extinguished, at which point it turns back into a bead. The owner of the item must wait twice as long as the fire burned before he can order the bead to become a campfire again.
Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, produce flame; Cost 360 gp
Well we seem to have gotten everything sorted out. We should get our weakened fellows checked out and taken care of.
Augier will follow along with the others, disturbing thoughts in his head. More half-orcs! This isn't coincidence anymore.
Rock nods as he sees some of the guard trickle in. The longhouse seems to be humming with activity.
"We need to watch out. I think a storm is coming, and we need to be on guard at all times!! Well done--you proved Rodrik was murdered. That hopeknife cinched it. Shall we head to the temple of Iomedae? Some of you look in bad shape."
He points to Yarask's bead. "We dwarves don't need the light so much, but the heat sure comes in handy when the winter winds are blowing."
Ogden takes note of the tension between the children, and nods to Rock about the heat and the temple.
Yarask gives the boy a rare smile as he accepts the bead:"Thank you Othdan. And about the knife: I gave it to Ruby because it was her brother's but if she's ok with it I think you may honor it and its previous owner. Just keep it close and use it wisely, as Rodrick would have, and remember there are 2 uses for an hpeknife, but the latter is just last resort!"
That said Yarask nods at Ogden and then turns towards Omast:"We should go get some healing, yes, but the town council and Halgra need to be notified of what's transpiring here. A vast conspiracy is at work and the fate of Trunau might hang on the balance"
"Lets get our wounded taken care of. I don't know what it might cost be we should do what we can. Were any of the potions able to help our comrades? " Dolgrym then heads toward the door.
before Boram gets up the stairs to go to bed he hears the dwarves talking about healing, Healing is a good idea, hope it doesn't cost much so leaning on his walking stick he returns to his clan-mates and waits to follow them to the temple.
Ogden holds up the third hopeknife that was made, "Boy, this one is just as good and newly crafted. Best to take this one so we can hold onto tha' one in case it's needed in our investigation of these events. 'Sides, it ain't got that fancy writing to Brynia on it, so ye can have a lass's name etched upon it without marring the blade removin' the other." he says, nodding at Ruby with a wink.
Othdan seems reluctant to trust the dwarves. "Give me that one and I will let you know later today which one I will keep. The one I have was truly Rodrik's and awarded me by the captain of the guard. You have taken my treasure, and I do not trust you. I will return the one I do not want to you at dinner time."
As the party makes their way to see the healers, they find out that they are incubating two sets of the bleeder's disease and three of their number have suffered from a drain on their strength from the rats. The high priestess notes that you are not members of the order, and calls for the scrolls of healing to be brought out of the archives.
Ogden knows that the high priestess seems to be getting scrolls that can address the diseases and strength drain.
"You have brought me maladies that require some major healing to remedy. I assume you have some means to reimburse us? I may be able to pray for some help today, but this amount of curative powers is quite massive. I will pray to the Inheritor and return in a half an hour if you wish to be healed."
Augier turns to the others. We found those gems and gold box that we can trade. We'll need to have them appraised and I didn't study that in school.
Yarask smiles at the boy:"That seems like a reasonable request. Take your time and make your decision carefully!" says the dwarf as he marches away from the meeting place.
"And how much would this praying of yours cost, pray tell? The whole town might be under attack by orcs and worse soon, and having every axe hand in fighting shape should be a priority I think" answers Yarask to the Iomedean priestess.
"About 100 platinum should do it, give or take some depending on how the spells work out" says the high priest.
"Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. If your Heal check is successful, the patient recovers hit points or ability score points (lost to ability damage) at twice the normal rate: 2 hit points per level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 hit points per level for each full day of complete rest; 2 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 ability score points for each full day of complete rest."
When Boram hears the cost of medical expenses he hops down off of the examining table and buttons his shirt back up. Looking at the priestess he says "If that's what ya charge tha people that saved your little town, then I'll have none of it. No reward offered, no healing offered, we ain't even gonna get ta keep everything we found. Don't need yer charity let alone ta pay yer bill. We accomplished tha job we were sent ta do and I expect paid for it, that's how civilized folks work. A little appreciation and a some recompense, not tha shaft from a greedy healer, yeah." He picks up his walking stick and waits to follow the dwarfs back to the warm bed at the nice inn ran by the halflings. at least she knows how to treat people, a warm bed and plenty of food at a reasonable price.
Hold on, is it 100 platinum to heal all of us? If so, then it doesn't sound unreasonable considering several of us are injured.
As the interchange at the temple goes south, the plan to convert treasure to hard currency progresses quickly. The town of Trunau had not seen such treasures in quite a while, so when the dwarves showed up at the Barterstones, the great outdoor market just outside the north gate (area N on the map), with their accumulated wealth, the merchants of Trunau had to scramble to get the coins to purchase the items. Buyers were found for all the items except for one. The golden box, the campfire bead, the knives, the holy symbol, the gems, and many more. It was selling the tiny bottle with two ounces of liquid that was the problem. The alchemist there admitted it was mighty powerful stuff, but he didn't want to part with the serious coin it was worth. He was willing to trade his powerful potion of resist fire for an ounce though in true swap meet fashion.
As the dwarves left the market, it was clear that they were more wealthy than the great majority of the inhabitants of Trunau.
Magical items are limited in a small town, and Trunau was no exception. For sale at the market was +1 heavy steel shield, +1 light crossbow, cowardly crouching cloak, oil of shillelagh, ring of spell knowledge I, scroll of divine power, scroll of magic weapon, and a fully charged wand of magic missiles The alchemist that did not want the expensive alchemists stuff had a Potion of resist fire (30) for 1100gp in addition to more common alchemical fare.
You were informed that Omast has a +2 greatsword for sale.
How about trading the liquid for some items instead of coin? Would that be doable?
Having decided to turn down healing, and the potion of fire, you leave the market and find a crowd following you back to town trying to sell you things. Many of the sellers have costume jewelry, roasted pigs and other things they are hoping you will buy.
The alchemist does tell you the stuff you found was made by a master alchemist, one similar in skill to the one who make the white paint that was plastered all over town. He does not have enough mundane gear, acid, achemists fire, thunderstones to make up for the price you want for the glue.
You return to the inn to find Ruby and Othdan. It appears they went to the Clamor and Othdan has decided to keep Rodrik's dagger.
Kurst has picked up you tab at the inn and is delighted you solved the murder of his brother. He reiterates the invitation to attend Rodrik's funeral tomorrow and hands Rock a sack of gold to cover your stay at the inn and any celebration that may ensue. Kurst and Rock make plans to investigate a nearby orc tribe to get some more information about the orcs and look for trollsign in the surrounding forests.
Rock says "Take care while I am gone and set a watch. You may want to all have Cham put cots in this room so you can all stay together."
The individual rooms are ten by ten, the common room is thirty by thirty. Both have windows on one side and an interior door. The common room also has an exterior door.
@GM: Considering Ogdan needs to care for me and Boram for 8 hours so we get effect from long-term care, and HE also needs to sleep 8 hours to recover his spells, could we also do a 2-shift schedule of 8 hours each, since we need to rest 16 hours total, and 2 of us are out for one 8-hour block, and one other for the other 8-hour block? Since we spend the night in the plaguehouse and moved at a brisk pace there, I figure we must have returned in the early afternoon. And after the house of healing, while the others do selling and shopping, Ogden can already start caring for us, so I figure 16 hours should work out from late afternoon to morning.
Could also just explain that since we need that long to ensure we're all fresh and ready tomorrow, it just happens that people are awake either in the one, or the other timeslot, or someone may sleep overlapping. All in all, it would explain some of us being awake without us having to figure out we may want to keep watch while staying at an inn.
daily post(in case he does not make it, as per request)
When Dvalin and Boran stomp of from the Temple, Ogden attempts to smooth things over with the priestess: "They had a hard day, and are bitter for a number of reasons right now. Your offer is generous, but we can't force them to accept it. You have my thanks-"
Later, as Dvalin and Boram settle down on their cots, exhausted from the day, Ogden starts caring for them, while the other clan members go out trying to sell some of the objects found at the plague house.
They are very weak...but the weakness will pass. In a few days, they'll be as good as new. I hope I got the amount of medicine for the halfling right...