[ooc] Fort
Vuvu empty his stomach quickly, then not bothering to wipe it off continues.
First thing I am doing is finding out what is making that damned whimpering!
Vuvu moves around the bodies to investigate.
"I'll aid you if this does not conflict with oaths I have taken before. Would this be by the will of Sarenrae? I'd think so, but I'm still learning. My hammer will do its part to right this wrong. Locke, you know this better than I, what say you?"
Bug replies after hearing of the horror inflicted on the family.
Xoruk grimaces. "Wha'e'er, mate. We'll 'elp ya out, bu' wha's in i' fir us, hm?" The dwarf gives the man a cold look, very little empathy shown for him and his family.
"Now I think you must proclaim yourself as one of the two positions, a vessel to let the unrestful spirit occupy your body or champion his cause. You must claim one of those, then his spirit will leave the body...I would suggest not being a vessel but to champion its cause."Locke says with a grimace on his face.Knowledge Religion check DC 13 will uncover this info.
"But that is not my question. I have no interest in being a vessel, so I will heed that advice. What I want to know is what would Sarenrae think of such a thing. You are devoted to the godess so I see your guidance on this. "
He says with an earnest look at Locke.
.
Hemmings springs the last bear trap with an appropriate size tree branch. "Already been hired for one job, not sure there time to take on this poor bloke's concerns. Gotta find that missin' explorer fella. I'll come along if ya decide to intervene, but won't be anyone's 'vessel' no how. Not like we've proven ta be a bunch of expert champions neither" .
Looking at the loot pile, Hemmings says "Anyone know how to check this stuff for enchantments and the like? Mayhap some of this stuff is magicked? At any rate, I'd like that little silver pigsticker if no one else has a claim. Anyone else makes a fair claim on a bit, s'okay with me. I say we take the rest (we can carry) and sell it off in town, and divvy up the loot equal shares. The gems and what not can be used to offset coin. Not sure what that box is, but it looks like a puzzle."
He grabs the silver dagger and slides it into his recently chewed on boot. He also grabs the onyx box and looks it over carefully.
Likely not noticing anything else he puts it back in the pile and begins to check the big chest for traps and the like.
If not trap, will try to open, if locked and no one's seen a key then
Ruby looks on, concerned.
Ardamir sees the looting and ignores it, something he will not take part in at this time. Especially after seeing what evil had been done to this man. He steps up to talk to, well, whatever it is. "My name is Ardamir, paladin of Iomedae. I will champion the cause against evil if my party will do the same. Our oaths were taken in pursuit or something else, but they take us on the same path, perhaps. I'm sure that the party would also agree to champion your cause as well. But, I must defer to them because my oath has already been given. So what they decide, I decide."
"I see your point Bug, I would think it a mission that Sarenrae would be glad that you champion for it is good, though I doubt that she would bless it for it is more justice and revenge, smiting one that takes souls is not her domain but she would likely be glad if the creature was gone. So overall I would say claim yourself as champion for this poor soul in the name of Iomedae but Sarenrae would be good as well." Locke tries to explain to the best of his knowledge.
"Iomedae, Sarenrae, The Holy Ones, before you, I Locke do proclaim myself champion of this poor soul, that he may eventually rest, that he guide me in this quest until the foul creature be smited from this plane."
"Ok, then I too will be your champion. I just hope we don't get too far off our paid mission. "
Sorry Vuvu, I have completely missed the whimpering again. You move the bodies aside to find another body, moving that one you find a barrel that is empty, you tap it and hear whimpering. You pop off the lid by grabbing the handle and pulling, inside you see a child, hiding as far back as it can in the barrel with a fur covering it.
.
Hemmings hears the priest and Shoanti pledging assistance to a corpse. He sighs wondering how he ended up with these do-gooders. "Guess there might be somethin' in being a hero to line the pockets. Just was well see if we can loot up and take that Pathfinder fella's bounty..
"I'm not promisin' to be champion o' nothin', but I'll come along an' see where it leads us. P'haps there's profit in it?", he muttered mostly to himself.
Easy child. easy. Vuvu says as gently as he can. You are safe now
Ruby perhaps you can comfort this kid
Vuvu then turns to the corpse.
So we are your champions. Fine. Good. I am your champion. Now stop moving around and let me fix you up.
Hemmings, sorry I read right over your previous comment too... weird...Anyhows there is no trap seen on the chest, you unlock it and find 4 large full sacks, 2 nearly empty sacks and a locked beartrap.
Lock would concur with you Hemmings, "Yes, use what we can, carry what is valuable, and divvy it up later when back at the Draught."
"Interesting, sacks. Wonder what's in em...", Hemmings says peeking around in the box for any danger before proceeding to look inside.
"Any of that gear enchanted, Priest? I hear tell of enchanted and arcane gear but never seen any meself. Don't believe in that stuff no how, till I see it. But curious is all".
Hemmings does take the silver dagger since there was no objections noted. He quickly volunteers to carry the coins and jewels as well.
"Still curious about that black box, wonder what it could be? Anyone else look at it?"
No it seems to be safe, you don't see or hear anything.
Locke says a few unintelligble words holding onto his holy symbol, his eyes glow blue and he looks over the items, "One magical ring. One magical box. One magical bear trap."
Thinking the coast is clear, Hemmings opens the sacks inside the chest and finds...
Within the four near bursting sacks you find a white powdery substance. In one of the other sacks you find vials with different colored liquids in them, each vial has some simple cloth covering each one individually. The final sack is filled with coins, a few gems, a compass, and an amulet(magical).
"I'll count out these coins if one of you'll check these items for enchantment. These look like magick elixers or some such to me. Maybe you Ranger want these man-traps? Looks like one is magical. Reckon you can check out this white powder also? Let's get this loot counted up, split up and help out this poor lost fella and this here rugrat..
Hemmings will count the coins and examine the gems. He'll also look a little closer at the powder but come short of touching or tasting it (for now).
light blue, cure light potion (p); clear, Shield potion (2)
Thanks to Xoruk: light blue, cure light potion(p); light violet, Mage armor; orange, endure elements;Amulet of the Family, Cursed can only be used by a specific bloodline, it can be used to cast cure moderate wounds and mage armor.
Locke, "I identified one of the Bear Traps, but I am sure the other two are the same, all three are magical." To Lecloront, "All you have to say is the command word, do you know Draconic, it means: Catch my foes."
Box of storing, CL 10, Command word to open in Draconic: "By his breath I live", Cursed can only be used by a specific bloodline, don't know specifics on the curse.
Locke has already done his checks, if you identify any others, just let me know which one.
Lecloront do you have detect magic?
Xoruk assists in identifying the spoils, grinning all the while.
Give me some checks on the white substance. Touching or tasting would be your best bet of identifying it.
Who is taking care of the whimpering child? Did anyone attempt to get it out?
Appraise checks on all the new gems and the old ones.
Vuvu and Ardamir, you may look up at the Champion Spoiler.
Use a diplomacy check to calm the child down and make your friend.
.
After eyeballing all the gems, and counting out the coins, Hemmings takes a deep breath, makes sure the healing priest is ready and takes a quick taste of the powdery substance (he's a little impulsive).
The child recognizes your race and your nice words and runs into your open arms, Lecloront. You see that the boy is an elf. A small fluffy cub of a feline comes up as well staying right next to the boy.
From the sack: 5pp, 34gp, 11sp, 9cp, 4 gems (16, 45, 78, 100)
You can look back and do an appraise for the whole lot DC 20, it takes an hour though so maybe when you have more time. Having someone else double check my list would be great, or the other way around. ;)
You know that the stuff is a drug and intoxicant. It is created from the harvest blooms, likely dried and crushed. There seems to be other agents as well, likely bone and negative energy you believe. This stuff can dull the senses and possibly have some more side effects, like most intoxicant can have.
Yeah, due to your charisma and slight change of looks, the boy did not come out to you.
I am assuming everyone is sharing what they learn?
Don't know about this ring. The clear potion is a see invisibility potion. This trap will set itself with the right word. This white stuff is a narcotic. We should destroy it.
Vuvu grabs one of the shield potions and the Mage Armor and puts it at his belt
Hemmings, if you are going to be moving about out front perhaps you should hold that see invisibility potion. I can't carry much more.
"Yep, this here powder is Draconic Lure, a drug made from skelton bones or sumsuch. I've seen it in the slums afore. It's quite addictive --replaces pain with pleasure. Wouldn't dip in it if I were you. Not sure why someun'd have this much of it laying about. Probaly quite vauable in the right market."
"I'll check out them gems later when we're campin' and I can give 'em a good once over. Some nice 'uns there tho'. If everyun's agreeable, I'll take that potion, might help with scoutin' sometime.".
He places the See Invisibility potion in his pack.
"So what next, then?"
We destroy that drug. It is evil, it is poison. We will not risk it going into the hands of an innocent!
He reaches into his pouch and pulls another vial and shakes it, ready to detonate the drug.
.
anyone need any of
2 spears, 4 battle axes, 2 longswords, 1 MW Large Waraxe, 6 sacks, 5 belt pouches and belts, damaged 3 leather and 2 studded lether armor, spoiled rations, a lute, broken equipment, 4 quivers of bolts, 20 bullets, 8 javelins, 3 backpacks, and a light crossbow.
"So we have 4 bags of drugs, a bag of potions, money, and a trap in the chest, next to two more traps... that reset on their own." As the first trap resets that almost got Hemmings leg.
Locke goes around looking at the gnolls legs.
"Yup two of them have fresh wounds on one of their legs. Two magical items that need to be keyed to a specific bloodline, also I notice that there is a large blood stain over here that would come from something bigger than a human, such as a horse..."
Locke goes over and follows the bloody trail, only if the rest of the group follows does he follow it past the dead black tree.
"I can see, well a bloody mess way over there, it seems the hyenas are making a meal of it now, they should be busy and stay away from us, either way, Bug please watch in that direction."
The body of the tortured man collapses. Locke runs over to him, yup, he is dead now. "What was I talking about?"
I believe you were going to direct everyone to clear away from the drugs so I can incinerate them.
Ah, ok, let us all collect the loot, can we move the gnoll bodies over to the chest as well?
"Ranger, try talkin' to the child, mebbe in the Fair Speech? It bein' Elvish and all? Mebbe he's got a story ta tell?". Hemmings shuffles in his pack for a bit and brings out some of the fresh fruit recently taken from the Draught and hands it to the child with his most charming smile on his face.
.
"P'haps we should take some o' that Draconic with us before you burn it all up, Vuvu? Might be a needin' some down the line? 'Sides it can be sold if nothiin' else. Maybe a bag or so?
I will not be party to the continuation of this poison on the land. Now clear out of the way before this hits you as well.
Vuvu continues to shake the bomb
"Yep, I'll keep an eye on those for trouble." he replies to Locke as he looks in the direction of the feasting hyenas with his hammer ready in his hands.
As soon as everyone is clear, and all the items etc are clear Vuvu lights the drugs on fire
You know where the traps are and will avoid them.
You think that the wagon could be salvageable, but would likely need to do about a week of fixing the axle.
Hemmings rummages in his pack and pulls out the letter from the lost explorer.
Instructions on how to find the Fortress:
follow the river north for 2 hours until you find the giblet (criminal's corpse in a cage, hung from the black tree). From there follow the gargoyle markers along the dirt path, for about an hour which should get you to the abandoned village (beware of the corpses, Stay clear!). You should see a tall stark white Yew tree up on a high hill to the South East, go to it. From here you can see the fortress about a mile to the north. It is strange that you can't see the fortress from anywhere except that Yew tree or the village.
"This sez there should be a criminal cage here at the tree, but see nothin' like that. Wonder if it's been moved? Should be a dirt path and Gargoyle markers nearby. Anybody see them?"
to look for any sign of the criminal cage or the gargoyle marker/dirt path.
Sorry, there was more important things to be seeing, the black dead tree (black splotch on map with limbs) has a gambit/cage with a dead man within. The dirt path leads north and west. You think you see a stone marker about a hundred feet down the west road.