"It would stand to reason then, that someone or something a lot smarter than ogres or bullyugs may be involved. Why would ogres want to hide evidence of their raids. I have never heard of that before. I don't know much about bullywugs, but it doesn't make sense that they would act this way either."
"Must have been either countermagic or an assassin came in an got tha mage."
[Cries as Tsarok slithers off into the swamps]
Jaegr is saddened to see Tsarok wander off into the swamp in a daze. He had seen similar reactions in dwarves after raids left many friends and family dead. Those dwarves just dropped what they had and wandered away down a tunnel in the under mountain, never seen from again.
"Damn. Looks like we were too late. Not going to be saving anyone here, now."
Kelgan looks coldly around the destroyed village and comes to a decision.
"I doubt there is much more for us here, and there address other innocents still in jeopardy. I believe Lord Fenrift's daughter was kidnapped by those cultists at the abandoned fort. We should backtrack to the highlands and search for her."
Caspian points at the lizard...
"Should we?" he falls silent and then plays a mournful tune for the dead upon his bagpigpes.
Caspian realizes the lizard man's goal had been to save his village and in that he had failed....
Not totally -- it occurs to you that the odds of ALL of the villagers being at home during the attack are pretty remote. There are doubtless survivors scattered across the moors, many of whom probably saw the gigantic column of smoke, investigated, and fled.
Cricket pokes his staff in the muck and waits for the rest of the party to come to a decision. In the meantime, he might start poking through anything that looks like a lizard man home.
Take 10 + 11 = 21
"I agree with Kelgan. The lizardfolk that did survive are most likely in hiding and will avoid us even if we mean them no harm. I vote we move on."
In a voice that is a little louder, "I shudder to think about the fates of any ogres or bullywugs that may cross our path."
Caspian plays a full tune for the dead finally he finishes ...
Cricket -- all the mud huts/burrows are mostly caved in, but you manage to turn up some shells and feathers and stuff that don't look particularly valuable, and a number of stone spearheads.
Cricket fashions the shells, feathers and spearheads into a necklace totem of remembrance and grief.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Cricket fashions the shells, feathers and spearheads into a necklace
"Well, let's get to the highlands and look for Lord Fenrift's daughter. I hope this time we will not be too late"
Jaegr takes one last gaze around the village taking it all in, vowing to remember this site if he ever runs into those responsible.
Luckily, having recently come that way, you have little problem retracing your steps. You are especially comforted at the idea that you don't need to detour around a certain drake lair anymore.
However, traveling in the moors is never totally without hazards. A few miles from the village you notice a group of Horned Ghosts following you -- looks like five of them total. They've been pacing you for a bit and it's clear they can catch up at anytime, or just wait for you to make camp.
"F%!%ing A@@++@!s!" Exclaims Caspian when he is told about the problem.
What do you think, guys? Stand and fight, or keep going?
Jaegr stops and hefts his pickaxe, " I think my choice is obvious, we teach these horned ghosts not to mess with us. I don't like to run, and I sure don't swim, so it makes it an easy choice."
Wyvurn smiles grimly -- his previous insight still buoying him. He knows somwhere, deep down, that the Horned Ghosts are pretty much mooks, and isn't worried about your combined ability to mow them down.
With the instincts of the barghest deep within him, though, he feels misgivings about this keep in the Highlands, if something more powerful still lingers there...
"I agree. I do not think these so called 'ghosts' pose much of a threat. Let's deal with them swiftly and severely. This keep though....bothers me. I am not sure why. Best we are prepared for anything when we get there."
"I have to agree, if we face danger when we face the keep we don't want the horny beasts at our backsides......no offense Cricket."
Um...none taken. Now, take my hand.
Cricket tries to form a prayer circle.
Oh Mother Tree, look down upon us poor sinners and please protect us better than you did those poor gallamesh.
Now let's get these ghosts!
Kelgan excludes himself from the goblin's ritual, not wishing to anger Grandmother Ruke. Meanwhile, he braces his shield and loads his crossbow.
Wyvurn participates in the ritual but thinks to himself 'there goes the element of surprise'.
He loosens his sword but tries to retain an nonthreatening posture.
Initiative
Initiative
Senses
Perception
"Let's deal with this quick and keep moving"
Horned Ghosts initiative:
Horned Ghosts sense motive:
Wyvurn accomplishes his movements quckly and deftly, leaving the Horned Ghosts with no idea what he's up to.
Cricket goes before any of the Horned Ghosts can react.
Kelgan and Jaegr are obvious threats. One of the Ghosts breaks ranks and starts to charge, but the dwarves' better natural reflexes enable them to act first if they so choose.
Caspian seems astonished at the sudden action, and looks around frantically, although he fails to notice anything in particular.
Wyvurn will loop around to follow the charging horned ghost so he ends up flanking with Jaegr and Kelgan. He'll slash at the beast's backside to further drive him right into the kill zone.
Jaegr will ready an attack for when the Horned Ghost charges him. If he is not charging at him he will instead charge it when it gets in range
"I just noticed my belly-button, it was once an innie, and now it's an outy....."
The Horned Ghost launches into a devastating charge, but Wyvurn's looping, sidling strides bring him up behind the thing. The hobgoblin swings, scoring a deep wound along the monster's back that elicits a bellowing howl, and the injured Horned Ghost charges straight into Jaegr's waiting pickaxe. Heavily wounded, the monster completes its rush largely on pure momentum:
I ain't afraid of no ghosts!
Cricket runs up and swings his staff at the wounded Horned Ghost.
Kelgan is content to let his teammates deal with the ghost that charged. He aims his crossbow at the others and readies to shoot if any of them look to be casting.
Caspian -- your turn.
Wyvurn will attempt to finish off the one who foolishly broke ranks with another slash from his sword and a kick.
Before Caspian can react, Wyvurn almost casually dispatches the wounded Horned Ghost with a flick of his blade, kicking the body to make sure it's dead. The other Horned Ghosts look on, sort angrily, and then back into the marshes, unwilling to join their companion.
Caspian removes his finger from his belly-button, which pops back out of it's own power.....
After careful assessment of the situation Caspian determines he is not really needed, but just in case he uses his staff....
Slingstaff (staff)
Damage
Caspian's bullet changes the Horned Ghosts' departure from "tactical withdrawal" to "fleeing at good speed."
"Hey man, nice shot. Well, now that that distraction is behind us, shall we continue on?"
With the Horned Ghosts now avoiding you and the drake nest empty, the rest of the trip back into the highlands is quiet and uneventful.
"Nicely done. Kill an enemy's will to fight and you'll have defeated him without bloodshed."
Glad to be out of the swamps, Kelgan cheerfully sets up his still that evening. He boils his blades, boltheads, and bandages and washes his clothes in the scalding water, whistling While he works. Then he continues carving his drake-bone dentures.
Eventually, you reach the fork in the trail marking the way to Skarn Keep. The wind blows especially chill from that direction, bringing a faint scent of brimstone, as much imagined as real. Three dead ravens lie in the middle of the trail leading there.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Caspian continues to try and determine what has caused the problem with his belly button. Eventually he concludes the time sitting on a stool and consuming ale had something to do with it.
"Do dwarves store up between adventures?"
Caspian shows off his stomach as he asks the dwarves about it.
Jaegr takes a look around cautiously, remembering the last time they smelled brimstone out in the open.
He moves over and checks out the area of the dead ravens
There's no mark on them, and no tracks around them. It's as if all three had heart attacks simultaneously while flying abreast.
I think you have a very nice stomach, Caspian.
Cricket detects spirits and studies the dead ravens.
Spellcraft
After everybody gets a chance to make whatever rolls they like, Cricket feeds the dead ravens to Wolvie.
Also,
Perception
and
Survival
to determine whether the scent of brimstone is indicative of deadly gases in the area.
After a third of a minute or so of concentration, Cricket senses
You see no evidence of volcanic activity, caves, or anything else, geologically-speaking, that would indicate dangerous gases. As the wind shifts, you realize that the smell comes only from the direction of the keep, regardless of the wind direction.
Caspian looks at the birds as if they had flown into an invisible wall of some sort....
"Guys....."
.....whats going on?"