Hermes, takes some thickish twigs from a nearby tree, tying a torn bit of a red handkerchief to each twig, he stamps them into the muddy ground, such that the cloth points the way of each trail. As he does this he says, "Sanstree probably has a point, can't afford to split up here, with that ghost rider around. Look, these will make it easier to follow, I hope, when we return." He smiles at his contribution to aid this band of heroes.
Standing up, he brushes the from his knees, and then with a vigorous slapping of his hands, dislodges the natural green moss and foliage that hand attached itself. "Ready, returning would be so much more enticing, if a hot and nourishing stew was ready when we got back to the village, Oh well!"
"Most kind young lady" the bard says politely to the bird. "Is there anything we can do to help you Tully? Did those scondrels that attacked injure you so? Such bad luck, what were you doing to attract the ire so?" Hermes asks. He starts to sing a soothing song, of the wind rustling the corn under a bright golden sun. Sweet notes flowing from his mouth, relaxing and putting the woman Tully at ease. Notes hang on the air, as the accompanying accordion moves and sways in time with the song. It seems a the best memories of childhood return in an idyllic summer.
"So my good friend Tully, tell us what you know of these attacks, do they happen often?" the bard asks gently, "And Dyson, what do you know of him, it sounds like his head is in a spin, a vortex, or is he such a genius that he could confuse us with his knowledge and fill our head to overflowing? Come what sort is he?" He sits in front of the woman, listening attentively to her replies, before asking to be taken to the Dyson person, with his friends.
Hermes will use a CLW from his spell repertoire if Tully requests help to heal the arrow wound. Before the performance starts. Diplomacy on Tully (Versatile Performance) 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21
Dyson @ Everyone
”This tower once belonged to my mentor, Olwain. . When he died and I inherited the place, I retired from adventuring and came here to live, along with my fellow adventurers.”
Tulley @ Broccan
”Can I see your blade, here see mine….”
” It's a fine, heavy but well-balanced blade, clearly dwarven work, bearing a mark that the well informed may recognize as belonging to Durgeddin, a famed dwarven weaponsmith.”
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
To Dyson: "S' what changed?"
Who's weapon has the maker's mark of Durgeddin? Broccan? Or Tulley?
Dyson enters into a discussion with Sanstree
Sanstree: "Fellow adventurers?"
Dyson:”That would be Tully, Henwen, and the Cuckoo.”
Sanstree: "So you inheiried it?" ”Sure it's isolated, true, but until recently was a pleasant spot and well suited to spell research. My special interest is archetetronics, particularly as it relates to transgenrificarion.”
Dyson launches into a detailed discussion of arcane principles, which requires a Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 20) to understand.
Spoiler:
The gist of it is this: Dyson is curious about structure, specifically the differences between different kinds of magic. He's exploring the barriers that separate arcane and divine magic, or different approaches to the same category (bard versus sorcerer, for example). Or school specialization: Why should denying yourself access to one school of magic increase your power in another?
Sanstree nods his head knowingly.....
As everyone is in earshot, I am assuming everyone can hear both discussions.....
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
Edrukk perks up at Tully's remark. "Beautiful work, 'tis. 'ow long 'ave ye 'ad th' sword?"
As the wizard goes into a detailed explanation of the theories of magic, Hermes eyes glaze over and his head jerks forward, his mind reacting to a drowsiness of theories, then waking up. "Interesting, very interesting but perhaps you'd like to go over it again, when my mind is not so full of the dangers of this place." Hermes says apologetically.
...
..
"The barrows, yes the barrows." Hermes agrees, hoping that they can learn more of the phantom hunter. He says as Edrukk looks at Tully's sword. Hermes strains his eyes to ook over the dwarf's shoulders as he inspects it, "If it is that fine a weapon, there maybe a story to be had that would warm the hearts of adventurers everywhere, does it have a name?"
"Yes it was winnings of a battle I had at the great barrow, a wight I believe it was, I had no desire to travel into the barrow and that darkness after so strong a guardian at the door..."
"And my fellow adventurers.....are not so adventurous of late."
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
Edrukk chuckles, "Aye, 'ere comes a time when th' warm fire 's more 'ttractive 'an th' road. So when was 'is battle wit' th' wight? Any ill effects fer ye?"
Edrukk casts a critical healer's eye over the warrior.
Seriously, the dwarf is concerned about whether the ghostly horseman is related to the Great Barrow and wonders if Tully has unintentionally offended the spirit. He will continue to try to determine if the horseman's appearance and the warrior's taking of the sword might have happened around the same time.
Edrukk's guess seems as good as any, though there is alot of information out in the wilds at various locations.
It dawns on everyone that The Cuckoo (bard?), Dyson (magic user?), Tulley (warrior?) , and Henwen (the druid? you met at the chapel) were recently adventurers together.
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
KenderKin wrote:
It dawns on everyone that The Cuckoo (bard?), Dyson (magic user?), Tulley (warrior?) , and Henwen (the druid? you met at the chapel) were recently adventurers together.
Eh? It "dawns" on Edrukk because the guy said it in so many words just up-page. What?
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
Shrugs, "If ye think so, sure. Now 'r 'n th' mornin'?"
I was thinking we were looking at dusk already - is that right?
Hermes looks around for the most comfortable of the empty dwellings. "So where to in the morning, I'm sure Edrukk's blade will see plenty of use at the barrow, if that's where we go."
The town of Ossington
[url=http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b461/fhoneycutt/The%20standing%20stone/Ossington_zps8e8eb590.png] Around town [/spoiler]
Map key
Spoiler:
0. The Well. This stone-rimmed well serves the village as a source of fresh water and dominates the
dusty Town Green where the road ends.
1. Elder Murdows's House. The only two-story home in the village (stone first floor, half-timber
upper floor), this small manor is home to the town's apparent leader.
three servants: a maid/leman/ serving wench (Liese), a butler/valet/cook (Raflees, a male human]), and a secretary (Evans, a male halfling. One wall is formed from the easternmost of the three trilithons surrounding the central green.
2. The Grange. This large stone barn serves as a storage place for grain, a mill, and a meeting-place for the villagers (when darkness or bad weather prevents them from meeting outside on the green). It's also home to Pease the granger (male human and the seven halflings who assist him. As with the town elder's manor, one wall is composed of the westernmost trilithon.
3. Dyson's Tower. The tallest structure in town, Dyson's tower uses the northernmost trilithon as its
entrance.
4. Cottage. Four humans live Their cottage is dark (the windows boarded over) but otherwise unremarkable
5. Cottage Flowers planted on either side of the door and under each window give this place a friendly, welcoming air Seven villagers (human) claim this single-room hut as their
warren
6. Dilapidated Cottage. Eight villagers share this place, the most ill kept and dirty of all the inhabited buildings Inside, a hanging sheet divides a sleeping area from the work space The weaver once lived here, and his loom and spinning wheels remain The new inhabitants, eight humans led by a particularly clever fellow named Willard, have been experimenting with these but haven't mastered the art yet The whole place looks as if the residents have a relaxed tolerance of clutter
7. Cottage. Nine halflings live here in cheerful disarray Ostensibly tailors, ever since the supply of cloth gave out they have busied themselves in trying to scrounge up enough food to stay
alive Thus, the place is full of grass seeds and acorns being ground into flours, grasses being leeched in pots, and the like
8. Cottage. The former residents here were charcoal-makers but the current residents lack the knowledge to carry on that trade, much less the desire to venture into the forest looking for suitable wood Instead, this rather oddly assorted trio (a male human another male human and a female human the most dominant of the three) have started an indoor garden to grow mushrooms, with little success so far
9. Cottage. Thirteen villagers share this place a stately old patriarch (Hoel, human) who's sleepy by day but alert and sharp-witted by night and a dozen youngsters ("the grandchildren,"
who are active around the clock, alternating between naps and wakefulness (ld6 are asleep at any
given time of the day or night, but they rarely sleep more than an hour or so at a stretch, or stay awake for
more than two or three hours straight) The "grandchildren" are halfling-size but look human, ranging in
apparent age from about 4 to about 14, all act like miniature adults
10. Cottage. This is set aside for Henwen's use, but it's apparent at a glance from the dust and cobwebs that
she rarely stays here When not at the chapel, she sometimes wanders the woods with her hobyahs.
11. Abandoned Cottage. The door hangs by a single hinge, there's not a stick of furniture inside, and
fallen chimney-stones have punched a hole in the roof This is one of several former residences abandoned
as the thorp's population diminishes
12. Cottage. This is nominally the Cuckoo's house, but he rarely sleeps here, preferring to sleep outdoors
at night
13 Abandoned House. Ossington has no inn, so Elder Murdows offers this house to the PCs for
them to use for free as long as they stay in the Ossington area The door has no lock,
only a simple latch The place is fairly clean, and the thatch roof is thick enough to keep out most rainfall
The only furniture is an old but sturdy table and a broken bed-frame
14. Cottage. Eh the tanner (male human) lives alone here Clever and personable, with time on his hands since he hunting fell off, he attempts to help the village through small gestures—
15. Cottage Three humans live here in a messy but sturdy cottage The baker once
lived here, but the current residents have stuffed the old brick ovens with straw and use them as a comfy,
snug bed
16. Cottage Five humans live here The cottage is neat but unremarkable
17. Cottage. This cottage is neat but very sparse The three farmers (three humans)
See #13 in the map key
as you arrive at the abandoned cottage a human approaches with a bundle of firewood...
"I am Eh the tanner, I thought you could use some wood for the night." See map key #14
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
Edrukk grunts assent at Hermes' surmise and heads to the offered lodging with Broccan.
He thanks the tanner and looks around the town from their temporary doorstep.
Male Human Brawler 3 I AC 17 T 13 FF 14 l HP 40/40 l F +7 R +6 W +2 l Init +3 l Perc +1 I Action Points 1/6 I Att +6 I CMB +5/+7*/+9** I CMD 17/+19*
Broccan settles in for the night, removing his plate armor and putting on his chain shirt. He accepts the firewood with a nod of thanks and stacks it on the porch.
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
"'r ye tryin' t' be 'nsultin'? Why d'ye say th' one what did a proper job 'r gone? Proper job o' what?"
He likewise switches armor for the night's rest and looks at Sanstree quizzically.
Male Human Druid 3 / Wizard (Foresight School) 3 / Mystic Theurge 2
"Neither tha charcoal maker ner tha weavers seem tah have a clue how tah do either task, they err tryin, but tha town needs tah be evacuated err least relocated an helped. Maybe closer to tha farm...."
Sanstrees face turns red as he talks about the farm and thinks of the farmers daughter......
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
The massacre site is easy to find, it is a large clearing South of the sloping hills that lead to the Tarn, and nearly due West from the village of Ossington. See map
You recall the story told by the mayor of Ossington…….
”The next thing we knew, a group of woodsmen, who’d gone out gathering wood went missing. We found their bodies the next day, shot full of elf arrows. It was like that for awhile; some body’d just go missing, and maybe we’d find the body and maybe we wouldn’t. Then they got bolder, and started shooting folks that weren’t in the woods at all but out plowing in broad daylight. Elder Meril, the mayor before me, led a group out under a white flag for a parley, but they never came back. We found the massacre site two days later.”]
”We weren’t sure if all the bodies were there or not, the way they’d been hacked apart. Meril’s body was intact, though—with so many arrows shot through him that we couldn’t get his loose from the tree. We tried to send for help, of course, but that’s when we found out the Horseman hadn’t gone away at all. He’s lurking around the area, springing up to ride folks down or hack’em to bits with that big sword of his. We figure he must be working with the elves, but we don’t know how or why he gets around the way he does.”
Please specify anything you might want to search for in this area…and roll perception...
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
Nice roll. I figured Alkaid would be all over this with her bonus.
Broccan find a few broken arrows and arrowheads in the area near the center of the clearing. The arrows are human arrows with metal blades, not the stone heads the wild elves favor.....
So it seems likely that someone was ambushed by archers in this very spot.
Male Human Brawler 3 I AC 17 T 13 FF 14 l HP 40/40 l F +7 R +6 W +2 l Init +3 l Perc +1 I Action Points 1/6 I Att +6 I CMB +5/+7*/+9** I CMD 17/+19*
"Somebody, 'r lotsa somebodies was shot, bu' w' reg'lr arrows, not th' stone ones th' elves been usin'," Broccan says, holding up one of the metal arrow points.
Dwarven Warpriest of Gorum| AC 20, T 11, F 19| HP 78/99| F 8 R 4 W 9, +2 vs poison, spells, spell-like abilities| Init +1| Perc +5| Fervor 6/7| Blessing 7/7| Sacred weapon 7/7| armor 7/7
"Sum'un wants th' elves t' get th' blame. Anythin' special 'bout those points?"
The dwarf gathers up a few of the arrow heads to see if he can identify any tell-tale of the workmanship that might identify something made by the same smith later.
Male Human Brawler 3 I AC 17 T 13 FF 14 l HP 40/40 l F +7 R +6 W +2 l Init +3 l Perc +1 I Action Points 1/6 I Att +6 I CMB +5/+7*/+9** I CMD 17/+19*
"P'raps we oughta 'ave'eh chat w' th' elves. Maybe they got 'noth'r side t' this story," Broccan offers. "'Course, chances'r good they migh' jus' kill us'n stead," he says with a chuckle.
