Jeydahvu |
Jeydahvu stares blankly at the priest, seemingly confused. After a few seconds, he draws his greatsword and spears two pumpkins standing side-by-side. He then effortlessly lifts them by the blade, and deposits them on a nearby table, before sitting down and proceeding to carve a rune-like symbols that resemble the Terran language.
Donna Pude |
Donna goes about finding the ugliest pumpkin she can find, taking it to a nearby table, and then attempting to create a work of art.
Craft(Carve Pumpkin, Untrained): 1d20 ⇒ 9
And creates an ugly abstract.
Hrarsk Hghaftig |
Hrarsk carves out what's supposed to be a half-orc in a helmet, relieved to have been informed that all art is blessed in the eyes of Shelyn.
Ashwell |
Ashwell sits at the table and tries to carve the image of a book from his beloved library into the pumpkin. He smirked as he thought to himself that he certainly hadn't planned on pumpkin carving when he woke up this morning.
"Oops" Singebottom |
Oops excitedly goes out and grabs the biggest pumpkin he can carry and brings it back to carve, on one side is a happy face with a raven head carved where the nose would be, on the other side is a sad face.
Donna Pude |
Donna, when done with her idea of a masterpiece, finally goes over to Blarg. Donna holds our her hand in offering to the dinosaur, much like she would to a dog, to get it to smell her, and make a friend.
Merrill Alfasier |
Merrill gets a pumpkin as well and tries to decorate it with a musical staff with different notes. Such beauty! This is a wonderful opportunity to learn new things.
Donna Pude |
Donna, after carving her pumpkin, and playing with Blarg, decides to walk around the village area to see what she can see.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
GM Phoenix Kyten |
As the number of carved pumpkins outnumbers the ones left un-carved, a group of villagers heads out to the field with a cart. They come back a time later, with the cart refilled.
One of them moves over to Bertinard and speaks to him softly in whispers. The conversation looks from a distance a bit grim.
He then comes over to the group. "I'd hate to ruin your time here, but you have the look of adventurers, and your usually braver than most in times where things do not go quite as planned? Would you be the type that could face a grisly situation in a time of need?"
"Oops" Singebottom |
That is what we are here for after all isn’t it? Oops says to the group. Whats going on?
Ashwell |
Ashwell had gotten bored with all the carving, so he spiked his knife into the table beside the pumpkin, and stood to his feet. "Sounds like a plan. Some excitement would do us good," he answers.
GM Phoenix Kyten |
"We're gathering at a small meeting here. It should be apparent then." He looks around specifically at a small flock of children rushing past with pumpkins.
The meeting gathers a short time later. Bertinard spends the first few minutes recounting the crop yields and boring issues from the area. By which time the children that had hung on to their parents have become bored and gone back to play with the other children.
"Now that the children have gone," He clears his throat. "We've found Elm dead in his fields." Holding up his hands for a moment for silence as the whispers go around. "We don't know what happened or what is going on but it was not a natural death."
A human female stands up. "Thank you Bertinard, some of you don't know me I'm Elise Tivareau. I lead the local militia here, normally we don't see anything like this around here, we're actually quite some distance from most of the issues in Galt up here. I know he's asked that some of you who are more experienced help take a look at things, and when your ready we can head out to the field."
Jeydahvu |
"Ready." says Jeydahvu, wiping the pumpkin guts off his greatsword on his tunic before sheathing it on his back.
On his way there Jeydahvu keeps an eye on the fields around and looks for obvious tracks or trails.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Survival - looking for tracks: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Merrill Alfasier |
Merrill looks shocked upon hearing the news. "That is just awful! Please bring us to the scene in haste. Jeydahvu, pray tell us if you see something out of the ordinary on our way there. Let's see how unnatural the death is."
GM Phoenix Kyten |
Elise and a few of her guards escort the group out to one of the near by fields.
A middle-aged man’s body lies on the ground about 50 feet away from the front door. His battered corpse is facedown and wrapped in pumpkin vines. The vines wrapping Elm’s body do not cover it entirely; they encircle his arms and legs, and one vine even wraps around his head, holding his jaw open. Underneath the vines, Elm’s clothing is torn and singed in places. Patches of brown fungus are scattered on the ground near his body
You get a sense that the guards are watching you closely, during the trip and while you are there.
The man's body has combination of rows of puncture wounds from a creature with a wide maw, severe bruises, and burn wounds.
You determine that he died some time in the last 2 days.
He died between 8 and 16 hours ago.
Koani |
Koani looks around carefully.
sense motive, untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
heal, untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
heal, untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Koani notices the guards seem to be keeping a careful eye on us.
"He died recently, either yesterday or today."
Ashwell |
Sense Motive 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Heal 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Heal 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
"He's got puncture wounds, terrible bruising, and even burn marks. Very sad," the mind mage said as he shook his head.
Jeydahvu |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Heal1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Heal2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Jeydahvu does not focus on the corpse much, leaving it to the others, and keeps his watch on the fields and surrounding boot prints.
Merrill Alfasier |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Heal 1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Heal 2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
"Thank you for pointing those out, Ashwell. I didn't notice the wounds. But his blood." He leans in closer and inspects the bloodstains. "It looks fresh. I'd say he died two days ago. No, wait! The color. It has got to be more recent. Probably 8 to 16 hours ago."
Merrill Alfasier |
"Is that Elm's house?", Merrill asks and points at a small house near the edge of the field. He turns to his companions and asks, "Shall we investigate that place as well?"
"Oops" Singebottom |
Oh dear, whatever got him is probably still out there, Pudge fly ahead and tell me what you see. From Oops skin you see what looks like a tattoo of a raven glow and manifest itself into a living raven and fly into the sky for a quick scan. Just having my Familiar take a look around from in the sky and look for any people or creatures in case whatever did this is still in the vicinity.
Perception 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Perception 2: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
One check about 30ft. up and on check when he gets near the house.
Donna Pude |
Man, whatever happened to this guy, I don't want to have happen to me. It looks like a painful way to die.
"You know what this looks like? torture."
Hrarsk Hghaftig |
Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 16
Hrarsk shifts uncomfortably with the knowledge he's being watched.
"We should check the house out too," Hrarsk says quietly. "If anyone still lives there, they probably know more about this than we do."
Koani |
Koani checks to see if Blarg notices anything.
Blarg's perception, if relevant: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Blarg has scent and knows the track trick.
I realize this will probably turn up nothing, but thought it was worth mentioning.
GM Phoenix Kyten |
Blarg starts to sniff around attempting to track, he'll stop every about minute or so and trying to snort something out of his nose and pawing at the front of his mussel as if smelled something odd.
There seems to be a red moss growing around in patches.
The guards nod when asked it that is indeed Elm's house. The house contains a bed, a desk, a table, two chairs, a chest of clothes, a shelf of food and cooking supplies, and a fireplace. For the most part the house is uncluttered but there is a steady stream of leaves that are gathering on the floor and tracked in dirt and mud.
Two pieces of paper lie on the desk. See the Handout in your maps for the note. One is a note that seems to be scribbled down. The other is a map of the area around Rosehaven with ten Xs on them. There is no ooc version of the map.
- First Note -
The cryptic note in the handout is a transcript of a conversation using speak with plants, the number of X's on the map matches the number of times the word "whisperwort" is underlined in the note.
Whisperwort is a colloquial term for a species of red peat moss.
- Map -
You can tell that the X's surround the town but don't form any discernable pattern.
You are able to trace a curving line through the X's to form a spiral pattern radiating outward from one of the farms east of the village center.
Whisperwort is growing in a curving, virtually unbroken line that connects the X's in a spiral pattern.
Stuffs! You also find feather token (tree), masterwork sickle.
Donna Pude |
Know(Nature)Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 16
Intelligence: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Know(Geography)Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Wisdom: 1d20 ⇒ 11
Donna scratches her head, but honestly, while she is able to note a couple of things, she isn't smart enough to connect the dots.
"The X's surround the town. Is one of the X's here? I don't know. And, what's with all the red moss around here?"
Koani |
Koani pays careful attention to what Blarg is doing.
"Look at all that red moss!"
She gives Blarg a nice little scratch for being such a good dino.
kn. nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
int: 1d20 ⇒ 7
didn't make that check, but still going to try the know:nature check. Won't look at the spoiler even if I make it, but will use the answer in response to anyone making the int/linguistics/spellcraft check
kn. nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
wis: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
"These x's are all around the town, but they don't seem to form any kind of pattern. Let's go look more carefully at the closest one.
survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
"Look, guys, there's something growing in a spiral pattern through all the x's!"
Ashwell |
Linguistics 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
"Look at that note. That seems to be a transcript from a speak with plants spell. The number of X's on the map correspond with the number of times the word 'whisperwort' is mentioned. Interesting."
He listens to all the others and tries to piece together what this information means. "If we can find an X, we clearly need to head to it and search it closely. That might give us a hint on what we can expect. And try to figure out why this man was killed."
Hrarsk Hghaftig |
"I would guess that this was written by Elm? If he was able to speak with plants, it seems they didn't like him much, considering the pumpkins that surrounded him..."
Merrill Alfasier |
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Merrill is grateful about everyone's observation. "I agree with all of you. They do seem to form a pattern of some sort. One particular location seems to stand out. I think we should head there as well." He points to one of the X's where the spiral radiates outward and turns to the guards assuming they're still with us "Good sirs, might you tell us something regarding this certain farm? The one east of the village center. It seems that a pattern is somehow connected to it."
"Oops" Singebottom |
Oh this Osborne all so confusing, I’ll follow you guys it’s just gonna take a bit to register everything in my head...
Jeydahvu |
Not showing disinterest - it's just that Jeydahvu's very limited skills don't match the task.
Intelligence Check: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (7) + 0 = 7
Wisdom Check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Survival Check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Jeydahvu agrees with Koani about the pattern, and is eager to seek the epicenter.
Jeydahvu |
Jeydahvu looks at Donna. "We are going to that farm over there. This is where it starts." Jeydahvu starts walking.
"Oops" Singebottom |
Why all the secrets, and what’s up with this red mossy stuff, is it bad for the pumpkins? Being young andbon his first ever mission, things are taking a little bit to sink in the young gnomes head.
GM Phoenix Kyten |
"Well it's not a farm to say it's Bertinard's house." Elisa mentions. "If you think something is going to happen there, it might be best if you head out while I go get the guards."
As you show up at his house, he will kindly let you in upon knocking. "How can I help travelers this evening?"
Sorry won the lottery of getting sick for a day from flu shot.
Donna Pude |
Donna, walking in and leading the way, nods at the man inside, and then points to the group behind her. She keeps her hand on her sword, ready to attack at any threat.
Jeydahvu |
Jeydahvu nods, and heads towards a seat. "I am Jeydahvu. I am an oread. My ancestors are from the Plane of Earth. There's some red moss growing in the soil from your house in a spiral. Why is this happening?"
Ashwell |
Ash stays slightly outside the house, waiting to see if there was a nasty surprise for his teammates before entering the abode behind them.