Alexander shrugs, Seems like at least some magic is involved, no? Let's keep looking.
Hmm..I wonder if this is fey related with all the bare feet.
Marcus nods to Alexander, moving to the next building.
The next building appears to be a farmhouse. The door has been left wide open and by peering in can you see that the home was fairly well kept and modestly furnished with simple accoutrements. The house shows signs of having been derelict for several weeks, though they appear to have been abandoned in the midst of normal activities. A kettle of uneaten stew is hung over a now cold hearth, plates and cups are on the table and a few articles of clothing hang on a clothesline with more in a basket on the ground.
Alexander, your raven lands on your shoulder. It tells you that there is a murder of crows feasting on some animal carcasses by a building across the river, there is a crane's nest on the chimney at the house in front of you and there is another raven flying overhead.
Alexander chuckles, The two of you can make a conspiracy. The tall man whistles, trying to catch the attention of the raven up above.
Perhaps these birds remember something of what happened. It must be odd for them as well for people to just...disappear.
They can share a few pipes and swap a bottle of liqueur for information pehaps
The higher flying raven does seem to take notice when Alexander whistles and slightly changes is course to circle overhear, but remains 200 feet above the group.
"This reeks of magic." Marcus says with a sneer. "Let's keep looking."
"I know squat about magic, and I can tell that. No one gets up in the middle of eating unless they're attacked or there's magic involved. If it were an attack, we'd see a lot more bodies. Let's move to the next building."
The acrid stench of a tannery wafts faintly from this modest building. An outhouse stands across the yard in front of the building. It is quite obvious that the village tanner lived and worked here. His combination home and shop is filled with hides in various stages of stretching and curing. Out back is a fenced enclosure with three horse hides stretched upon it.
Alexander tilts his head quizzically as he looks at the hides. Strange. These are from centaurs. I wonder, what sort of people skin centaurs?
"These people might have angered nearby centaurs. That could be the cause of their disappearance if they have a powerful caster. We should look for them after finishing our search here."
Oh dear oh dear. Looks like there was some payback inflicted.
Othniel waves his hand in front of his face and pulls his shirt up over his nose. "What sort of man lives in a tannery? These things are usually kept on the outskirts of town for a reason."
Finnegan looks at Alexander. ”Centaurs? Could they have killed everyone and taken the bodies?”
Alexander shrugs, I don't think so. There'd be signs of a struggle, I would assume.
"There would be blood, at the very least. No, I am certain this is magic."
Finnegan grunts. "Still, picking a fight with one centaur is foolish. Picking a fight with a whole clan is stupidity. I knew a guy who picked a fight with a centaur once. Called him a half-breed and said his mother was fit to be no more than a brood mare. The centaur charged him and stabbed a lance so hard through him the tip stuck out the other side. Well, shall we check the next building?"
Marcus gives a sharp exhale through his nose in response to Finnegan's story; it appears the closest thing the group has ever seen to him laughing. "Next building." He agrees.
Aye
You walk back across the dirt road and check out two more little farmhouses. Nothing remarkable about either one and still no sign of any people or even living creatures.
The next building (4), is the last one on this side of the river. It is a large, two-story building that partially overhangs the river bank. A wagon sits at the loading dock with a pair of barrels on its bed and another waiting atop the loading dock itself. A sign above the front entrance shows a barrel and a smiling dwarf. This small brewery established Varnhold’s own beer brand, according the bottom of the sign. The wagon and loading dock hold sealed barrels of the stout—still good—and another dozen barrels of the completed product can be found within the building. Still no sign of anyone around who would enjoy drinking all this beer.
Alexander pays slightly more attention than normal to searching the place. Spooky. He looks up into the sky. And odd. I know that bird heard me. Why isn't it coming down?
Marcus scans the rooms for any signs of life. "I think the rest of the town will be the same."
Hmmm.. No struggles and no sign of belongings taken?
Finnegan searches the brewery for any signs of people. ”I agree. This whole thing is spooky and makes me uneasy. Not a single sign of life anywhere.”
beneath one of the brewing vats; underneath it is a lockbox (DC 30 Disable Device to pick the lock) that holds 115 gp and the recipe for Cheerful Delver Stout (worth 50 gp to the right buyer).
Alexander, you are fairly certain that the raven heard you and it is circling over your group, but it does not come down within 200ft of your group.
*Creak*
Finnegan stops, tests something with his foot, then says, "Hello. What have we here?" Bending down, he fiddles with the floor and lifts up a loose board, then pulls out a lockbox. "Well, looks like we've got something here. Anyone know how to open it?"
No doubt petty cash for the brewery
”A shame about the townsfolk, but at least they left us beer to go with the bacon.” Othniel quips. Once Finnegan has uncovered the lockbox, he steps forward, tools in hand. ”Let me see that, sir.”
"Thanks Othniel. It looks like a really high quality lock, so it might take you a bit."
"Let's continue searching." Marcus says, turning to the next building. "Orlovsky, is that crow a problem? A familiar maybe?"
Alexander shrugs, It shouldn't be a problem. I can speak to them, but not command them. It's odd that it isn't curious, but birds can be odd. Certainly, if it is a familiar, that would also explain it. He looks around, Take your time Othniel, we aren't in a rush, it seems.
The raven flying overhead has apparently seen enough or gotten bored because it flies away, over the river and then down below the treeline where you lose sight of it.
If you look down towards the river, you see that t he ground slopes steeply downward to the river bank, where the river runs wide and shallow, though it is muddy with the runoff of recent rains to the south. The opposite bank rises at a gentler slope into the town proper. From the old wagon ruts and hoofprints, you can tell that this ford is where the town's residents crossed the river at.
Across the river, then
Finnegan checks the ground leading to the river for any signs of other tracks that may be present, as well as any other clues as to what happened.
Marcus levels a frown at the mud. I'm going to have to deep clean my armor tonight. He leads, slogging across the river and doing his best to make a semblance of a trail through the mud for the others to follow.
Alexander smiles slightly as they slog through the mud. He stops as they reach drier land for a moment before waving his hands in an arcane pattern to watch the mud slide off his boots.
That trick never gets old.
As the first of your group hits the middle of the ford, a pair of large armored crustaceans emerge from the deeper side of the river and appear to be heading right for you.
Quick on the jump, Othniel begins circling to put himsel behind one of the creatures. He recognizes these aberrant lobsters for what they are. "Chuul! Watch out for their paralyzing tentacles."
Still on the bank, Finnegan quickly studies the two Chuul, then fires an arrow at one.
Chuul. Othniel is right, don't get caught. Circle around and watch out for more of them!
Both of the chuul move up at snap their large claws at Marcus.
Marcus sneers at the barrage of claws, one finding purchase in his armor. He retaliated against the chuul that struck him, bringing his large curved blade down on it!
Round 1 Init 8
Andrea moves up and stabs at a monster with her longspear.
Othniel draws his blades and circles to split the focus of the chuul Marcus is battling, slashing at it as he goes.
Init 18
Still on the bank, Finnegan quickly studies the two Chuul, then fires an arrow at one.
Attack, studied target: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 12 + 2 = 31
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 = 12