OotKA Game

Game Master Daniel Stewart

Trying to enter the main door, Sasha meets some resistance, as it someone had places something against the door. With a few more shoves she is able to open the door enough to squeeze in.
Within is dark and a smell of recently spilled blood can be faintly detected. As you start to move forward, you almost trip on something laying on the ground. Reaching down you feel material, then the cold , clammy touch of a dead body. As others arrive with light, enough spills through the crack in the door to see the body of Father Rikard lying motionless on the floor.

Alex and Inamm arrive only moments later.

Alex pushed her way in and called for more light. She knelt by the body and quickly checked for any signs of life.

does she need to do a health skill check or is it obvious whether he's alive or dead? If dead, can I tell how long he's been dead and how he died?

Stepping over Alex and the corpse, Sasha moved into the chapel. Clanging her sword against a stone pillar, she called out, "Come on out, it's time to play. Shame on you for picking on defenceless old men." They had gone to a lot of work to save the old priest, and she was furious that somebody dared take that victory away from them.

Moving back to the room where the old dude was, hoping to draw the baddies out before they kill him.

Alex - The priest is dead, but on a casual examination you cannot figure out how. The body is still slightly warm, but you do not see any wounds on him. (Heal check could tell more)

Sasha - Moving to the rear bedroom, Sasha finds a bloody mess. The old man is in his sick bed, but someone has removed his head. Blood has slashed up all over the headboard and wall. The head is nowhere to be found.

heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

You notice the same small pin-prick on the neck of the Father Rikard as there was on the stable-girl. The area is slightly discoloured, and a small bead of a thick, clear liquid oozes from the wound.

Alex frowned in dismay as she recognized the same signs of poisoning with Father Rikard. She may not know what poisoned them but she may be able to figure it out. Taking one of her empty glass vials, Alex tried to carefully extract a sample of the poison from the wound.

Once she was finished, she joined Sasha in examining the room where the priest was who they had only recently healed.

"AHHH!" Sasha yelled, kicking a small, blood-stained footstool so that it smashed against the wall. She was furious that the old man had been killed - what a waste of a trip! Well, killing orcs was never a waste, but still.

"Track!" she commanded the dogs again, hoping this time they'd be of more use.

Both dogs immediately seem to pick up a scent, but as soon as they get outside, they begin to whine and wander aimlessly about.

Perception check please

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

Once again you see the strange powered leaves and such on the ground...it seems to have an effect on your dogs, as they will go nowhere near it. The wind has scattered most of this material, however the dogs still stay away from the area where it was located.

Alex thought they should look for clues in the church but didn't want to become separated from Sasha and the others in case they needed her help. Basically turning on her heel, Alex followed Sasha and the dogs outside again.

Seeing Sasha's interest in the leaves on the ground, Alex went in to take a closer look.

at work and can't remember if Alex has spellcraft or not. Will look when I get home and make a role. She'll also want to take a sample of the leaves (if safe to do so) to analyze further when things aren't so chaotic.

spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Spellcraft tells you very little, bu craft-alchemy reveals that this compound is used to neutralize scent making it impossible for a creature to track using their scent ability.

Upon examination of the leaves, Alex shook her head sadly. "I am afraid that tracking is out. These leaves are meant to mess with an animal's scent ability. It looks like we either look around for possible clues the old-fashioned way or else we go back inside and investigate the scene to see if there is anything the killer left behind. Any preference?"

tag everyone

part of me is thinking we ran into these leaves before awhile back but can't remember for sure. Will go back and read over past posts but if it turns out that we have then Alex will reference that...

Kicking the ground in frustration, Sasha turned back to the church. If the murderer had anticipated her dogs, there was little chance they'd find him the "old-fashioned way". The Keep was busy, and the killer sly. No tracks to follow without scent.

Let's see what we can find inside, she said. She returned to the church and moved more carefully through it, looking for clues, or for anybody who might have seen what happened.

Feeling useless, without tracking or healing talents, Inamm follows her colleagues' leads. When the options all seem to be used up, she speaks. "Perhaps we are following the wrong path anyway. Could the attack on Tella have occurred during the perpetrators' escape and not their entrance into the village? We all came out right after Tella's scream and for these two to already be dead after such a short time, makes me wonder. I could see scratches deeper in the well. Do you think we should look down there?"

if I misunderstood and the priest has not been dead for some time, wasn't he cold and clammy already?, I apologize

maybe...lol

Sasha nodded slowly, the light dawning. "Yes....you're right! That never occurred to me - maybe whatever did this escaped down the well." Moving to the door, she said, "Let's go"

this will be after we're done in here.

Alex added her investigative qualities to the others as they returned to the church to find more clues as to what had transpired.

When Inamm voiced her theory it seemed very reasonable to Alex that looking into the well would be worthwhile. "Do you think there is another way in and out of the keep via the well?"

tag Sasha and Inamm

"It's as good a guess as any. Who knows what's down there. We should check it out."

You arrive back at the well. The townsfolk have taken the stricken girl into the tavern, while a few guards search the plaza.

Peering into the lightless depths, Sasha could see nothing. I guess one of us is going down. she said. Shall we draw straws?

Actually make a perception check Sasha. If you succeed read the spoiler

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

lol - Hesseth?....

Anyone else looking down the well can make the same roll if you want!

Alex moved up beside Sasha and looked into the well.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Alex saw a pattern of scratches on the side of the well and pointed them out to the others. "it looks like something was attached there. Should I throw some light down the well?"

Tag Sasha and Inamm

"I do not need any extra light to take a look, but if you would kindly help too secure this rope I would be grateful."

Inamm pulls out her silk rope as she is speaking. She ties off one end and climbs up onto the lip of the well.

"If I yell "trouble", please help pull me up in a hurry. Otherwise I will let you know what I find and well figure out our next moves from there."

Making sure she has a weapon in easy reach, she carefully starts a slow climb down into the well, directing herself towards the scratches.

take 10 to climb slowly and carefully

Sasha let the rope out slowly, every muscle ready to haul Inamm back up in a hurry if necessary. She didn't like that the flighty sylph jumped down first, but had to admit that it made sense for Sasha to be the one ready to pull her back up.

Down the well you follow the odd scrapes until to reach the area just before entering the chilly waters, and here the scrapes abruptly end.

DC-15 Perception roll

Getting nervous while waiting above, Alex readied one of her bombs to toss down the well in case they needed to quickly extract Inamm and deal with her pursuer.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

"The scrapes end at the water line. I cannot detect anything out of place above the water line. I am not sure my vision is adequate to pick up details so a source of light might be called for. I will check to see if there is anything below the water's surface." Inamm speaks softly, counting on the wind and the acoustics of the well's walls to carry her words to her companions. Ensuring she had a secure grip on the rope, she carefully feels the area under the surface where the scratches might continue.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 purple dice this time

I may be misinterpreting your description of the well's interior and how/where the scratches end, but my assumption is that they end in a way that would make Inamm think they continued under the water. If my logic is flawed I would alter my next action onto focus where the scratches would logically suggest to look.

Inamm does not feel the scratches below the waterline, however she does notice a secret door, the bottom of which is located about 1 foot above the waterline.