Of Kings and Commoners - Kingmaker AP

Game Master RPGGGM

We're not oven cooking Ilvah's corpse >.>

Speaking of stone blocks though. Some character in a better mood want to finally peek into the small buildings after this :p?

That might require a perception check from the lookers. At this point Serena is smaller again.

Map updated

Durgan will move to look in the nearest of the small buildings.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

I was gonna add: "And some indication of where you are looking." ;)

More after work.

Aye, pyre - Alia knows too little about lycanthropy to risk the disease spreading to something digging up the corpse and eating her. Nobody wants Were-Spiders. Plus she does not want Ilvah dug up and eaten in the first place. We can still lay her bones to rest if you already dug a hole, though. She needs all the sending on she can get...

As the Pyre is lit, Alia stands close to Zokon as she watches the flames dance up to engulf Ilvah.
"Farewell, little one...may Pharasma judge you mercyfully - "

"Ok let's do that then."

Zokon will gather and setup wood to form a pyre

Illthir watches the pyre in silence. She did not know any songs that would fit this. And she hoped from the depths of her heart that she'd never had to attend a funeral for someone so young again.

"Farewell... I hope the afterlife is kinder to you."

As the fire burns, Serena drops to her knees and prays for Sarenrae to grant salvation and redemption to Ilvah. Though the child was evil, she had not registered completely as such to Serena's divine sight, and hopefully, that meant that there was still some goodness in her.

As the others set about building and lighting Ilvah's pyre, Durgan has a look into one of the sad, decrepit hovels. Scattered amid the ruins of someone's life he finds remains of several books among the leaves and weeds, nearly all of them reduced to illegible mulch by the elements--one though remains partially intact. To Durgan's eyes the legible potions seem written in a personal shorthand interspersed with strange geometric diagrams, and alien symbols.

Map Updated

Durgan will gingerly pick up the book, looking to cast Mending or Make Whole on it later, as well as Comprehend Languages. Once he has time to prepare such spells. He places it in his pack.

He moves to the next hovel, to the south, and looks inside.
Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Durgan looks into the second hovel and notes an old wardrobe standing along one wall, however he also notices the fact that the whole structure seems to have the integrity of a house made of tarot cards. In fact, the hovel seems to sway a bit when he rests his hand on the door frame.

With the funeral pyre burning, and their investigations complete the party is left with several choices on just how to proceed as mid-morning approaches.

"Fergus, Alia, do either of you have magic to investigate or open that wardrobe from a distance? This structure is unsound."

Possibly Open/Close, Mage Hand, or Unseen Servant.

"I do not. But you do have experience in many lines of work - I imagine stonemasonry to be among those, and you have a versatile tool. I imagine we could stabilize the structure with a branch or two - at least good enough for whoever takes a look to make it out before the ceiling comes down-?"

I figure Breadth of Experience and the Any-Tool could allow us to make a check here. If it would take too much effort or remain too dangerous, the wardrobe is probably not worth checking, but as a player, I'm very curious what could be in there.
(As long as it's not a Spider Swarm.)

"I do." Illthir offers. A Mage Hand spell was simple enough for it to work even in her current state. And thinking about other things then the smoldering pyre would really be pleasant. "Just open the wardrobe from outside? Can try that."

"Maybe just knock it down then investigate the wardrobe?" Zokon thinks to suggest something no others are saying

Alia, now that you mention a possible swarm, I am even more in favor of the Mage Hand approach! Let's have Illthir try that first before we do either the Stonemasonry or the Bulldozer approach.

And just to pre-empt the door being stuck and too heavy for the Mage hand: If the initial attempt fails let's tie a rope to a stick and improvise a grappling hook - then she just needs to maneuver the stick to the handle and we can pull with more force.

"Right. Let's just test a gentle tug first." Illthir mumbles and carefully peers inside the tattered hut. She empties her mind and focuses on the cantrip, conjuring a small amount of force to tug on the wardrobe doors.

Under Illthir's spell, the doors open with a whoosh causing dust to billow from the wardrobe. Inside lies a dusty trunk, above which is hung some moldering cloaks, a dusty coil of hemp rope, some moth-eaten hats, and a belt with a shiny brass unicorn buckle.

"Well, I'm not going to try and get that hat. So.." She tries to lift the shiny brass unicorn belt buckle. And attached belt. Though the buckle was the petty thing!

"I can try open the trunk too. Just a moment."

Durgan never prepares Detect Magic as he lacks any ranks in Spellcraft.

But he does turn to Fergus. "Can you look for magical auras, to see if there is anything in there that we should prioritize?"

"Well, I'm not going to try and get that hat. So.." She tries to lift the shiny brass unicorn belt buckle. And attached belt. Though the buckle was the petty thing!

"I can try open the trunk too. Just a moment."

Physically or metaphysically?

Magically to start with. It's a poor version of detect magic too! Which might be why you are asking :p

The belt seems too slippery for Illthir's magic to grasp. ;)

Anyone else doing things?

"I uh can't get a grip on it ..." Illthir frowns. Too heavy - or already magical? There was a chance it was old enough to fuse with the rest of the wardrobe of course ... "Let me see if I can open the trunk." She redirects her magical efforts to see if the trunk can be opened.

The trunk springs opens. It seems filled with winter clothing.

Illthir squints. "Those look slightly less moldy."

"Any volunteers to enter the deathtrap and get the things? No? Hook and rope it is ..."

Zokon looks at Illthir with a little trepidation and then relief at her last statement

"Yes let's take the slow and safe approach."

Zokon takes out a grappling hook and silk rope.. he ties them together and then after having a good look and estimating the necessary force he will throw the hook to try and retrieve the unicorn belt

hook throw +dex+bab: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Durgan has just had a giant spider land on him. He is not eager to have this hovel collapse on him as well. So he won't touch the structure until other options have been tried.

But he takes the Any-Tool and, off to the side, starts preparing some braces as one would use in a mineshaft.

Zokon looks at Illthir with a little trepidation and then relief at her last statement

"Yes let's take the slow and safe approach."

Zokon takes out a grappling hook and silk rope.. he ties them together and then after having a good look and estimating the necessary force he will throw the hook to try and retrieve the unicorn belt

The buckle, the only thing he could hook onto, is Diminutive (AC mod. -4), with the range, and the awkwardness (read: cover) of trying to fire through a wardrobe door the AC is 20. Eventually Zokon can do it, but it takes a few tries, and you probably have to do it twice. Once to knock it off the hook it's on and again after it falls onto the cluttered, weedy ground inside the hovel.

Eventually, Zokon hooks the belt out of the shaky ruin.

Only rolling for Spellcraft if needed, as I would need to burn a Wand Charge for the Detect Magic :) - so lets see if others cover it first.
"Great hook, Zokon.", she comments when he retrieves the Belt Buckle. Then Alia turns to Illthir: "Think you could try and lift those clothes up a bit, one by one? We should be able to tie a noose in the rope and drag them out"(As with a lasso, but i doubt Alia knows what a Lasso is, and even if she does, that she knows the proper term in common)

"Mm nice throw!." Compared to their other recent endeavors, this was nearly zen meditation. Illthir didn't mind to sink some time into it. "I'll try to lift and drag the clothes over here, we'll see if it works ..."

Fergus had managed to nod off while standing with his arms crossed. At Durgan's prodding, he startles a bit before settling down.

I haven't stayed up this long since my years in the academy. Ah, right.

He will look over the belt, his eyes glowing with the brilliance of a diamond in the sun.

spellcraft: 10 + 13 = 23

Ah, this belt would allow one to easily stay upon a mount, even in the most dire of situations. As long as they are not weighed down by the heavier forms of armor, though even then it would help them somewhat.

He would cast his eyes into the hovel, just in case.

He would cast his eyes into the hovel, just in case.

Nothing else within the ruin glows with the colour of magic.

Durgan tries to judge how far it might be back to the horses, assuming the party moves more quickly and in a straight line (rather than following a trail that was no doubt trying to shake them).

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Durgan believes that the group should be able to get back before dusk if you start soon. The trail was pretty straight, for a wolf, which means it moves through some places that were difficult for people to traverse.

As Durgan shares his insights, Alia turns to the Skald: "Illthir, you think you can do any more songs about this 'Pervitin' guy?"
Then she looks at the Chest:"This will slow us down regardless...we can carry it well enough, but maybe we should make some contraption to let us more easily move it? Or should we try our luck with the lock?" Thinking Travois...but neither ranks in Survival nor in Engineering. So "contraption to move it" it is, with someone else to work out the specifics-

"I can carry the chest without being slowed down, Alia."
Dwarves' speed is not reduced by armor or encumbrance; with 16 Str, Durgan's heavy load is 230 lbs, and while I haven't added up everything he carries, his armor and weapons add up to 70.

A travois is not really conducive to much of area's the rough forested terrain. A lot of the time you would be carrying it like a palanquin.
Also you are going to have some time as pyres take about six hours to do their work... unless you want to leave it burning in the middle of forest unattended. You could add two more hours, and just take a 'long rest', and then get a start in the mid-late afternoon, and make it back to camp around midnight.

The pyre burns throughout the morning sending ash-gray smoke into the sky.

Serena continues her prayer vigil until the last of the flames goes out. Afterward, she rises unsteadily to her feet, her legs having lost feeling an hour previous. Her voice is hoarse from praying, but her eyes are clear and determined. She draws a deep breath and says, "Sarenrae's will be done. Thank you all for permitting this indulgence. I realize that it inconveniences us, but it was necessary if the child's soul is to be redeemed."

"Hah." Illthir snorts. A laugh. Or close enough, she needed that. "It doesn't actually replace real sleep. Don't want to just keel over from sleep deprivation ..."

Helps with hustle, doesn't help with forced march. Which is probably what we'd have to deal with :p

I'd vote for rest. And pray that our horses/feys are still around.

"...Plus our furry friend might tell on us if we accidentally burn down the forest ..."

"If we have lost the horses then we will rely on Illthir's magic to get to Restov on time. Let us hope there are no more interruptions."

Durgan will agree to rest.

Ah, curious. I figured terrain was less of a problem and undergrowth would be. I had the wrong kind of forest in mind I suppose. @Durgan: I know you Dwarfs are quite capable. It just kind of feels wrong to have you carry it just because mechanics say you can :) Like, in-game it feels wrong to make you do the lifting when you are just as tired as us. And with the Pyre, didn't know exactly when we got done. Also had a shorter time in mind, but admittedly I looked up cremation as a basis which takes about half that. TIL how long that takes, I guess.

"Let us hope all we left behind are safe. Including the horses. But it was...necessary. I doubt any of us would have rested well knowing she was out here, continuing with her schemes...and if not for us hounding her, she would probably not have tried to pass through here, so she might well have made it if not for us." Alia sighs. "We do have closure, this way. But I'm just about ready to pass out while standing. Should we set a makeshift camp near here?"

Aye, rest sounds good.

That what dwarves do though. They shoulder the heavy burdens. Haha. Something Something stubborn nature, something something no weakness.

I do have some spells to help if we have lost the horses, and I'm not sure that we would have, but it would use a fair portion of my magical strength.

"Snort!" Oh yes a wonderful send off as Zokon kinda tries to give the impression he hadn't just collapsed in a heap while "Watching" the pyre

A short rest for Zokon, he takes what rest he can

"Aye yes the horses, I hope the spiders around have not gotten them. But we should probably rest, I feel we have cleared the locals and other will probably not venture here as they fear the spiders."

The day passes into early evening and pyre burns itself and Ilvah out to bone and ash.

Assuming folks rest for 8 hours, they can eliminate their fatigue, prepare spells, and be ready to move out in the late afternoon

A soft mournful song echos up from the well, as the sun moves off over the heaths and lower plains of Brevoy. It moves like the breeze about the clearing and through the surrounding forest eaves.

So beyond anything else folks want to do what are you doing with the medium chest?

"'Carry it.' That was your whole plan [Ray]. Very scientific."

With the dwarves hauling the chest the party makes their way back through the forest the way they came with Zokon, the party ranger, guiding them.

Late in the evening magical lights help him find the trail. And then at about the midpoint of the night they spy their camp free of flocks of birds, deer, foxes, bears, goats, mice, and boars, and more importantly--horses.

"*Yawn!* I needed that ..." Despite the yawn, Illthir felt a lot better. More awake at least. As they gathered their few things she took the opportunity to play a little on her flute by the well and then yell a farewell down it.

---

"Walker! Erevenywg!!" the skald calls out as they approach their camp. But alas. No horse. No fairy. Not even a badger from what she could see. "Darn it ..." she sighs and moves to inspect her tent, hoping it'd be intact at least. Then she throws a glance down where Zokon had first set his. She had really hoped to find Erevenywg and the horses safe and sound, but perhaps there were some clues left at least?

Perception! Glance around for clues?: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

"It was probably Noah's doing," Serena says pointedly.