Radomir, you might want to take that glaive. It's blade has been enchanted. The breastplate as well, though...I'm not entirely sure what the enchantment is on it, so I'd be careful. He tests the laces on the boots, These will make someone run faster. The man smiles. Quite a valuable find here. He holds up the robes, finishing, And some magical robes. Bones, if I recall correctly. There should be some embroidery on here that can summon useful creatures.
Andrea trots up with her wand. Who here is injured? I have provide healing.
Thank you, I will take this ring
I am Radomir dismounts, and points to the blood staining his armor.
My thanks for any healing you can give
Andrea taps him twice for 20 HP healed.
"That thing gave me a wallop, so I wouldn't object to a bit of healing. I thank you, Andrea."
Eyeing the boots, Finnegan says, "Those boots might be good for scouting ahead. Mind if I grab them?"
Alexnader nods at both Andrea and Finnegan, Certainly fine by me. Radomir? How about that glaive?
Andrea taps Finnegan for 10 points
Radomir hefts the glaive. Thank you, milord.
Taking the boots, Finnegan puts them on. They seem to mold themselves to his feet, and feel more comfortable than any boot he'd ever owned. Moving about the clearing, he certainly feels like he is moving quicker. "Maybe I should try to race a horse in these," he jokes.
Recovered from your battle, your group once again heads west to continue mapping out the territory. The rest of the day is quite uneventful, nothing else pops up to try to eat any of you and you do not meet any other travelers.
Around late evening, as the sun begins to touch the tops of the trees, your group makes an interesting discovery. A ruined, circular keep looms out of the forest, surrounded by towering, ancient trees draped with hanging moss. Four circular towers sprout from the cracked walls like the trunks of great trees, at least one crumbled into rubble. Twisting vines and thick moss cover the walls in a coat of verdant green, blending the ruins almost seamlessly into the surrounding woods. The overgrown remains of a path lead to an open, arched gateway gaping in the keep’s eastern wall, its doors long since rotted away.
Interesting. A possible location for a new keep?
Interesting indeed. This was made by elves quite some time ago. He dismounts and ties his horse off to a tree. Seems worth a look, don't you think?
Andra dismounts as well. At least a quick scouting.
Dismounting well back from the keep, Othniel slinks stealthily forward, looking for anything of note from cover.
Radomir stays mounted, to better charge at things comign their way.
If we rebuild it, could it be defensibel?
Clear space for a road...lots of work to repair. Hmm...we'll have to see.
What you can see from the distance is that the keeps exterior walls appear to be 20 feet in height and covered with ancient, worn carvings which can be glimpsed beneath all the moss and vines.
The keep's southern wall has been breached sometime in the past, leaving a rubble and vine choked opening into what is most likely the main courtyard of the keep.
Dismounting with the others, Finnegan considers the structure. "Well, that hole in the southern wall would have to be repaired, and these vines cleared away. Who knows how structurally sound the wall underneath is. It would be a project, but unless we either encourage expansion in this direction or people begin expanding in this direction on their own, I don't know that it's worth the investment. Are we taking a look inside?"
Might as well, it might be a lair of some creature that would be hostile to us.
I strongly suspect that a structure as defensible as this isn't simply vacant and perfect for occupation. So we should probably be on guard, yes, Eduard says as he takes out his journal to sketch a picture of the structure.
Alexander draws his sword and readies his shield. Well, shall we try the front door? With a nod towards the portcullis, he makes his way forward as stealthily as possible. Though he'll, of course, let the scouts take the lead.
Well we might have to make camp in any event. Andrea gets off her horse and lets the scots check the area while she keeps watch.[/b]
Stringing his bow, Finnegan quietly began scouring the area outside the wall, looking for signs of any creatures in the area.
"Wait!" Othniel cries out. Throwing himself into Alexander's path, he points out a lever located below it. "The portcullis is rigged to fall. I think that lever may actuate the trap." Looking around, he asks "Can anyone use magic to trigger it from a distance?"
I have no magic that can trigger it. We do have a potion of invisibility that could be used for someone to sneak inside to make the attempt. Plus a scroll of flying.
My lord, I could trigger the portcullis. I am the least needed of this group
Incorrect, you are a skilled warrior and have proven that during our battles with the Stag Lord and the scythe tree.
i thank you for the vote of confidence , but I am a simple soldier. This is my duty. I am also the one most likely to survive. Please, let's make me invisible and get this done.
Looking at Eduard, Finnegan asks, "I don't suppose you have any magic that can move that lever, do you?"
Othniel shakes his head, and points to the hole in the wall. "Entering here is not necessary. One or two of us can go in through the broken section of wall and come around on the other side." He takes a couple of steps that way and waits to see if anyone else is coming or has a better idea.
Letting out a snort at his own foolishness in making this more complicated than necessary, Finnegan says, "A fine idea, Othniel. Although, why don't all of us go through the hole and ignore the portcullis altogether?"
Alexander nods, Let's just make sure it isn't also trapped. And keep a look out for whatever trapped it.
Eduard takes a look at Devilbow and shakes his head. Not that I can really think of.
Very well let us try the hole. Just be wary of any possible hostile trees or beasts.
The rubble and vine choked terrain proves difficult, so your entry into the courtyard is rather slow, but uneventful. Your passing does not seem to trigger any form of traps. Once you enter, you see graceful tower that rises out of the keep’s central courtyard, now overgrown with bushes, undergrowth, and several sizable trees. Like the outer walls with its four towers, this tower is also draped with vines and creepers, and several small plants have taken up residence on ledges and in cracks along its sides along with the nests of various birds.
Let's find out what's in these outer towers first. Make sure we find out whoever set that trap. Alexander nods towards the left tower and readies to follow the more perceptive members of the group.
Indeed. We might want to disable the lever in case we need to make a speedy exit.
Radomir will grudgingly leave his stallion behind.
That would be wise, Andrea
Finnegan left his horse tied to a tree, since he really wasn't comfortable fighting on one, and they weren't exactly sneaky.
"I agree we should disable the trap. It would be beneficial."
After successfully disabling the gate lever and leaving in the up position, your group makes its way into the tower to the left of where you entered from.
Much like the door to the main gate, the doors of these towers also seem to have decayed over time, the remnants merely splinters of wood on the ground. Looking through the door, you can clearly see the sunlight shining down through top of the tower. The upper reaches of this tower have completely collapsed, filling the interior with debris and rubble.
Digging up a mithral statuette from amongst the debris, Othniel scrutinizes it carefully. "This is a representation of Findeladlara, the Elven goddess of architecture. I have distant relatives who worship at her altar, though half-elves are...less welcome in the temple of most elven deities. No idea what it's worth, though. Anybody?" He raises his eyebrows, glancing around for someone better with such things than he.
Huh...it's a very valuable statue. I'm no merchant, but I'd say you could get over a thousand gold for something like that. Good find. Alexander looks the statue up and down with approval. A fine piece indeed.