Pick a close tree for another variant on Zokons approach...I'll see if, using a rope and taking 10, I can climb up a tree. If it's natural fog, it SHOULD be near the ground, so a treetop may allow us to see how far around the land is covered in mist.
Curses, why'd I never learn about nature. Oh, i know, magical lessons, physical lessons, smithing...there simply was no time in all those years. And others always seemed to know better, anyway, so I had no need...that tree does sound creepy, though. What is "ghost-colored" anyway...transparent?
Pick a close tree for another variant on Zokons approach...I'll see if, using a rope and taking 10, I can climb up a tree. If it's natural fog, it SHOULD be near the ground, so a treetop may allow us to see how far around the land is covered in mist.
Curses, why'd I never learn about nature. Oh, i know, magical lessons, physical lessons, smithing...there simply was no time in all those years. And others always seemed to know better, anyway, so I had no need...that tree does sound creepy, though. What is "ghost-colored" anyway...transparent?
Scarlet isn't in the mood for ghost trees, and keeps watch over the prisoners. "Maybe we just get away from the forest and out of this fog?"
"Vote then, Go or stay, go means leave this area not in the direction of that tree, stay means build a fire and sings songs or something"
"I vote we question the prisoners again. They had their camp nearby, spend their days here, maybe one of them knows about this fog even if they have no idea about your tree. I have to say I am reluctant to move on with such dense fog. I can barely see you, and you are standing next to me. The mist is so thick that it even seems to drown out sounds. If we come across some natural obstacle, or someone gets separated...well, I'd say we try and wait it out. It is a natural fog, after all, and should pass...i hope.... If we do end up breaking camp, I would say we should let Luna and the Horses decide our path. I had not noticed before Scarlet and Celyne pointed it out, but they did seem agitated all day long. As if they know something we don't."
"If this is truly a natural fog, as we suspect, it is likely to be rather high, not just a ground fog, so climbing trees may afford us no improvement to sight... flight on the other hand might avail something if we had that capability. Moving in this fog is problematical as we have no way without sun of determining our actual direction. Luna seems distressed by the fog, which disturbs me, and since I cannot speak with her directly, giving her directions to lead us to Oleg's wouldn't work well." SHe shrugs, knowing her words haven't really been helpful with finding a solution.
"Oh, I didn't mean for her to lead us to any place special, only out of this fog, where we can get a new bearing, and find our path again. But whatever spooked her and the horses may be here in the fog with us. If they can smell it despite the moist air, they could help us evade whatever it is."
After several minutes the tension in the animals departs. Wilbur too seems more at ease having been able to somehow fall asleep. Luna paces a bit more but eventually curls up and falls asleep.
The fog though remains.
It isn't until what you judge to be about midday that the fog too departs, though more from increasing winds than any sunlight that might filter through the gray, overcast sky.
Ahead along your path stands a round hill with an arrangement of stones too uniform in placement to be accidental.
"It looks like a monument of some kind... We should make note of it on our map, for sure... "
As the party moves closer (within range), Celyne will cast detect magic to see if there is any within or among the stones.
Scarlet remains bored, but she's happy the prisoners fell asleep. She's about to nod off too when she- stones?
"Huh. Look at that." Scarlet seems suddenly animated as she runs up to the stones, investigating them and looking around for how they were formed, what type are they, how could they have been lifted...
Scarlet remains bored, but she's happy the prisoners fell asleep. She's about to nod off too when she- stones?
"Huh. Look at that." Scarlet seems suddenly animated as she runs up to the stones, investigating them and looking around for how they were formed, what type are they, how could they have been lifted...
[Appraise]
[Perception]
"It looks like a monument of some kind... We should make note of it on our map, for sure... "
As the party moves closer (within range), Celyne will cast detect magic to see if there is any within or among the stones.
At this point Scarlet rushes past and into the ring.
Alia will also check the stones out with Detect Magic.
Alia sees Scarlet rush towards the ring, and runs after her, shouting:
"Wait Scarlet! There is...something magical about these...be careful and lets not touch anything before we know more-"
Well, if she was near the stones, Alia may as well try and take a closer look...
Alia will also check the stones out with Detect Magic.
[Knowledge Arcana]22
[Knowledge Arcana]10
Perception to see if there are any markings on the stones, Runes or the like]
If there had been, they are long since worn away.
"Don't touch anything, Scarlet...I sense a strong aura of Evocation magic from these Stones. I have no idea what spell is embedded or what will trigger it, but I don't want to be fried into a crisp..."
Posh decides to join in with the detect magic and attempt to figure out the stones too.
"this is strange. I never passed these on my trip up to Restolov." he states, looking over the stones.
Posh decides to join in with the detect magic and attempt to figure out the stones too.
"this is strange. I never passed these on my trip up to Restolov." he states, looking over the stones.
[dice=Knowledge Engineering]1d20+3 Difficult to tell they seem to have been here a looooong time.
[dice=Knowledge Geography]1d20+3 Certainly not.
[dice=Knowledge History]1d20+3 An old sect of druids perhaps.
[dice=Knowledge Local]1d20+3 Nada.
[dice=Knowledge Nature]1d20+3
They are solid granite and common in parts of the Greenbelt though most common in the Tors of Levenies (see the Stolen Lands Map) and the description Zokon gave sounded like no tree you've ever heard of.
"I don't know about that tree, Zokon. It sounds nothing like any tree I have ever seen or heard of...I suggest we mark this down and maybe return when we don't have so much 'baggage' as we do now. Maybe buy a few alchemist fires." he suggests, looking around for where this tree.
Scarlet pokes the rocks for a bit before Alia shouts some sense into her. She reels back.
"Did anyone else see that hand?" Scarlet points toward the far side of the central stone. "I guess something's up there..."
"Ahoy!" Scarlet shouts toward the stone. "You need any help?"
[dice=Second KArcana]1d20+9
"I don't know about that tree, Zokon. It sounds nothing like any tree I have ever seen or heard of...I suggest we mark this down and maybe return when we don't have so much 'baggage' as we do now. Maybe buy a few alchemist fires." he suggests, looking around for where this tree.
There are no trees on or anywhere near the hill.
Zo moo n gets caught up in the enthusiasm and examine the stones
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Zo moo n ...
Numalar listens to the discussion and casts detect magic to investigate himself. He begins by looking around at the edge of the magical aura. "If the magic here has something to do with life or death there may be some noticeable effect on the grass and other plant life, which will be most visible at the edge of the effect where it contrasts with the un-enchanted grass outside."
Numalar also has a general look around, particularly at the area Scarlet said there was a hand.
There are no trees on or anywhere near the hill.
No additional clues come to anyone's mind in regards to the area's magic. But by walking the circumference of the ring Numalar spies the body of an obviously dead man lying next to the central stone.
Alia joins Numalar and Scarlet at the Dead Man, and takes a closer look at the body(and it's surroundings, in case whatever killed him was not a clearly obvious non-magical thing).
Celyne walks over and peers at the dead body, trying to figure out what killed the man.
Celyne walks over and peers at the dead body, trying to figure out what killed the man.
"Any idea what happened?" Scarlet looks about, not sure of what to do since she can't mess with the rocks.
There are no trees on or anywhere near the hill.
Zo moo n gets caught up in the enthusiasm and examine the stones
As far as local lore goes, back in Brevoy in and around the Gronzi Forest there were all sorts of tales regarding druids and witches cavorting about such circles on certain nights of the year. You think they used the stones themselves as a sort of calendar, or sextant to chart the night sky with and as a sort of divine focus for their belief. The hows and whys though elude you.
Celyne will point out the obvious wounds and express her unassuredness of how he died. "He was either stabbed or shot to death. Hard to say which wound or wounds was the killing blow, but all took their toll."
Having taken a look at the dead man and his surroundings, Alia speaks up:
"He seems to have been killed by underlings of that stag lord of yours. It seems they left a message, for someone. Maybe this stony area is a meeting place of sorts? They took his possessions, so I doubt we can learn more here. They also somehow made sure no scavengers touched him. My opinion is that we should vacate the area and just remember it's position. The magical aura could well be a trap, considering the nature of the magic school of Evocation...the tied in second effect could be some sort of trigger, a sort of Divination maybe to identify the targets. Possibly associates of this dead guy here if it was a meeting place, but I definitely would not want to accidently trigger a magical trap, as these are often lethal. So, I'll stay with the horses and will wait until we are ready to move on, but I suggest no one linger longer than need be."
Having spoken her bit, Alia carefully backs away from the body without disturbing it, then heads back to the horses circling around the stones as far away from them as reasonably possible.
Scarlet grunts. "A fine way to mess up this arrangement."
She then returns to the horses. "So, back to Oleg's then? Or at least out of this fog?"
Scarlet grunts. "A fine way to mess up this arrangement."
She then returns to the horses. "So, back to Oleg's then? Or at least out of this fog?"
Zo Moo N ponders the findings...
"Isn't Erastil associated with a white stag? Considering we are in the wilds it may be something associated with him."
"In my studies of kobolds I run across something similar, the construction of the The stones (by color and pattern) seem very similar to the sort found further south in the Tors of Levenies. Druids and such used the stones themselves as a sort of calendar, or sextant to chart the night sky with and as a sort of divine focus for their belief."
"So it's like a calendar? Like you measure how much sunlight there is every day?" Scarlet wonders aloud. "Th-thanks, Alia. I almost messed that all up."
"I guess this was a meeting place for Erastil's followers. Someone didn't like that...best to keep our eyes and ears open."
"Considering the proximity it was most likely our bandit friends"
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"No doubt the Stag lord himself has profaned an otherwise sacred symbol. I very much doubt he is a servant of Erastil. The problem is we cannot say if this is a symbol of erastil or of the Stag lord... but I thought the symbol of Erastil had a bow and arrow on it? I am inclined to agree with Zokon on this - it is most likely the Stag Lord who is to blame."
"That doesn't explain this magical aura though. Did the Stag Lord's people leave it? Or did they simply take advantage of something that was already here? Or were they unaware of it completely? Perhaps our prisoners would know more."
"While we are at it, the strange tree is gone, but it left tracks behind. Zokon, do you care to take a look?"
"In the mean time, though, I will see if I can puzzle this magical field out."
"So we're all in agreement that it's the Stag Lords handiwork. If you insist on messing with the auras, everybody else should stay a safe distance away. We don't know what kind of magic is at work here, and what it's purpose is. So if you must take a look, lets get everyone else to safety first."
"No doubt the Stag lord himself has profaned an otherwise sacred symbol. I very much doubt he is a servant of Erastil. The problem is we cannot say if this is a symbol of Erastil or of the Stag Lord...
"In the mean time, though, I will see if I can puzzle this magical field out."