We only killed half of them. How many would be at their lair? I think we should be thankful that our first battle as a team went as well as it did considering their numbers.
The pain rises to the crescendo...then vanishes!
"Wow...ummm thanks! It feels much better. Completely healed in fact."
He gives Rose a quick hug
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Frowning at the broken arrows, Felix recounts his quiver. Should have brought more arrows. He pulls out his now familiar leather bound note book and scribbles within it as he surveys the carnage.
I would very much like to see where these beast lair, but I am aware that curiosity does indeed kill the investigator.
"Thanks for the magic, Kwin. I feel powerful, if somewhat slow. Uh, does this spell wear off or am I going to be stuck this big?" Jericho defers to the team whether to go after gnolls. He feels fortunate not to have been struck in combat and have killed 3-4 gnolls.
"I agree. I do not like leaving possible enemies behind me. I would hate to return from this Mouth of Doom, tired and worn and be ambushed by more of these mutt-headed beasts!"
Hmm, you do have a point. I suppose we could at the very least scout the location of the lair and decide then. Parfin seems to have recovered from the battle. Who here is our ranger?
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It is my understanding that creatures such as these only respect strength and violence. It might be best for the locals if we do go and impose our might upon them. Felix becomes distracted by a insect that zooms by.
I have read a treatise on "Navigation and Survival within the Wilderness" by Nomec Hosket but I doubt that I could be considered a Ranger by any degree, certainly the trail is easy enough to follow, they made much haste in their retreat.
More than I've read. If everyone is ready, let's move.
To Jericho, "It will wear off all too soon. I apologize that I didn't have a chance to warn you of what to expect."
"It has been quite a while since I've been a scout. I'll defer to Felix, thugh I will be glad to help."
Can I aid another to help Felix?
"I have a little survival training, but it is somewhat limited, still it may help."
Wow what craptastic rolls!!! Guess I am not much help after all..lol
"I know how to forage food and water and perhaps track." He looks at the path and starts to follow it.
Between Jericho, Dobin and Felix (and the retreating gnoll's total lack of caution) you are easily able to follow the beast back to a small scout camp. As you cautiously approach the camp, you see no other signs of gnolls except for this one, and he is hastily gathering food into a pack and preparing to leave, rushing between a few huts.
Hopelessly outnumbered, you quickly dispatch the remaining gnoll. Searching the camp, it appears that they carried everything of value on their person. You find a few additional spears, some ratty/flea-ridden leather, 6 short bows and 120 arrows, and two red-brown vials of foul smelling liquid. There is also enough dry provisions to support the scout camp for a few days (enough to feed 11 gnolls for 2 days, so 22 days of trail rations), though you suspect they were primarily hunting what they needed to survive. While sorting through this you also discover a badly beaten, bound, unconscious female halfling - Lilia. All of her gear still appears to be on her, for all the good it did her.
Kwin smiles at the apparent reunion between the halflings, and works diligently to help gather the items of potential value. When he comes across the two vials of foul smelling liquid, his curiousity is piqued. He sits on a rock with the two of them, considering their properties and possible purpose.
He'll use detect magic on them and try to identify them. He has Craft (Alchemy) +7 and Spellcraft +7.
Blurry words form in her mouth, "Wwose?" she closes her eyes again and shakes her head. "I found you." she chuckles. Her face is a bruised, bloody mess. With a suddenness she leaps up, a dagger in each hand, scanning the hut. "The gnolls? Where are we?"
She stops, realizing the rest of you are near and puts away the daggers. Through brused lips she relays the tale: "After talking with you yesterday, I figured that I should approach you about hiring on to your adventuring group. But you early birds were gone before I could catch you this morning. Knowing where you were headed, I figured I could catch up to you and we could talk. Well, just after I got to the river, I had to answer nature's call. Next thing you know, there I am with my business all exposed and here comes four gnolls!" she looks around, eyes wide. "It's a good thing you guys came along, I think they were going to eat me!"
Kwin approaches the others, vials in hand.
"They very well could have intended to eat you. It is not unheard of for gnolls to consume other sentients."
He holds up the vials and says "Potions of the curative sort. I estimate they are of the same effectiveness as the spell you" indicating Rose "cast on Dobin earlier. Why don't we spread them amongst us until we get these items sold and the resulting wealth divided."
With that he considers, and then hands one potion to Dobin and one to Jericho.
We can't leave her out here alone. We should escort her back to town and get her patched up. Let's take what there is of value here while we're at it.
"Perhaps we should all rest here for the night..well maybe not 'right here'.., he indicates the gnoll camp, but perhaps someplace else and then decide what to do in the morning?"
Kwin will approach Lilia and, with her permission, use his Presdigitation cantrip to help clean her up. While he is doing so, he'll ask "Are you familiar with the land between here and the Mouth of Doom? Is there any place closer to it that is relatively good to camp at?"
Lilia smiles at Kwin, "Of course wizard, thank you. I've been through this area a few times. It's reasonably safe, getting ambushed by gnolls while traveling alone not withstanding. Truth be told, I'd like to join your group and head to the Mouth with you. If you'd have me. I realize that this situation may have gotten our professional relationship off on the wrong foot, but I assure you I've got skills to offer."
"Well lets pack up and move out...still plenty of daylight remaining. Are you ok to continue on with us Lilia?"
Lilia smiles, nodding vigorously. "Yes, I'd like that very much. You guys are the best!" Checking over her gear, moving a little stiffly Lilia quickly says "I'm ready to go!"
Wary of further ambushes, Kwin has his bow out and strung while continuing toward the legendary destination.
Traveling again along the river, you quickly find your way to the ruined cottage. It is a stone cottage that has been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. The thatched roof is gone, and grass grows from the dirt floor of the building. Turning south at the landmark you can see the wooded hillside that rises before you, your destination, your fate before you. As promised, the path to the Mouth of Doom is easy enough to pick up and follow to it's foul beginnings...
The Mouth of Doom is a huge, stone demon face carved into the side of the hill. Its open mouth is ten feet tall; within the gaping stone maw, stairs of black stone lead downward into the darkness.
Black stone stairs lead down to this room from the ruined tower above in a staircase that the characters estimates has taken them about forty feet underground. The room at the bottom of the staircase has six doors leading out, each one set into the far end of a ten-foot-by-ten-foot alcove in the wall. There is a faint smell of old rot in the air, like a graveyard.
A. North Eastern Door. In the stone over the top of this alcove, there is a carving of a goat’s face, with curling horns, narrowed eyes and small fangs visible at the corners of its mouth.
B. South Eastern Door. There is a skull carved into the stone over the top of this alcove.
C. Southern Door. There is a pentacle carved in the stone over the top of this alcove.
D. South Western Door. There is a carving of a hand over the top of this alcove.
E. North Western Door. There is a wolf’s head carved into the stone above this alcove. There is also three holes in the ceiling which look like they are for a portcullis.
F. Northern Door. Nothing is carved into the stone above this alcove.
Nice place. Lilia, what do you know of these doors? Anything? Parfin will then say, Anybody see any tracks leading from these doors? Maybe our gnoll friends ran in here.
Lilia shakes her head, but draws two masterwork daggers from her wrist sheaths. "No idea. I've heard a little of this place, but it's my first time here."
Dobin moves towards the north doorway and examines the entrance.
Kwin will cast light on his ring. Looking at Rose, he comments "Best that we duplicate the spell. Should either of us be incapacitated, the other can keep illumination going for our allies."
"I have some sunrods in my pack if it comes to it", Dobin comments as he continues to examine the north door.
South, north, stars, doesn't matter to me. Rose, if you feel this door is the place to start it'll be fine by me. Parfin steps closer to the south door. Dobin, whatya think? You wanna be the door opener or shall I?
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Looking at the various stone work and making sketches in his book, Parfin's comment catches his attention. Whoa, big guy...! Felix steps up cautiously to the door. Perfect place for traps, let me check this out and unless we are under duress I should check out any portal that we choose to go through, perhaps even some hallways and anything that looks interesting or uninteresting for that mater. Felix digs through his equipment pulls our a rod with a mirror on it along with another that has a hook on the end and begins to investigate the door. While he works he adds I have begun a map and notes of the things that we encounter, just incase this place becomes a maze or we need to reference our path and location.
What? Ummm, oh! Hmm, hadn't really thought about that. OK, go right ahead and good idea about the map thing too. Parfin has a slight look of embarrassment on his face and steps back a little to allow Felix to do his thing. Maybe its a good thing I don't run on point after all.
Parfin will volunteer to either be second in a single file lineup. If we go two-wide he'll join whoever else would like to lead the way.
Lilia sticks close to Rose, watching the shadows rise and fall across the room as the light sources move about.
While Parfin and Felix have a short conversation about maps and traps, Dobin walks toward the opposite door. As he gets within ten feet, a magic mouth forms in the stone and speaks: “You stand at the threshold of the Rappan Athuk, the Dungeon of Graves. Turn back, trespassers, for you will find nothing but your death in these dark halls.” After delivering its message, the mouth disappears once again into the stone. Dobin finds nothing else of interest, the door appears unlocked and closed.
Felix starts a bit at the sudden pronouncement, and then points at Parfin and raises an eyebrow. "That's what I mean." With renewed caution, Felix sets out searching the southern door and alcove area for traps, but finds nothing of interest. The door itself appears to be unlocked and closed.
Dobin takes an involuntary step back as the mouth appears and pronounces it doom to him.
"Well now...thats not something you see every day! Maybe I will stand back while Felix there checks these doors!"
Hmph, ok. North it is. Felix?
Once Felix examines the north door and approves our passage, Parfin will fall in behind Rose.
After Felix gives the all clear, praising Dobin's own search as more than adequate, the party moves north along a short hallway into a new room. This room is clean and bare, hardly any dust even. There is a western corridor at the north end of the room and a southwest passage in the south western side of the room.
Dobin move up to the North West corridor and takes a look down it.
Kwin follows along, bow ready, and making sure to keep a watch behind the group as we advance.