Rise of the Rune Lords (Inactive)

Game Master fatmanspencer

Runt wakes up wondering where everyone is. She plops herself down at a table, having brought a block of wood to raise herself up, and orders their best mush.

Just putting a mention that I'm still here. Basically Syeira enjoys the fruits of her labor and enjoys a relaxing night.

Ansley would hear nothing, nor see much of anything really, her dark only showing a very empty crypt. Empty of everything, including what she would guess was bodies.

Ansley shrugs. "In for a penny and all that..

Percpetion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

She goes in and gives the room a once over before returning to the others at the bar.

I can report this in the morning.

Just as Ansley goes to step from the door way, she notices a slight shifting of the bones in the corner. Bones that were previously not there, nor were they heaped together in such way that suggest they could move.

"Blast is it rats or the undead?"

She moves into the room gripping her heavy mace.

Enjoying the revelry, Syeira suddenly comes to the realization that its been awhile since they've seen their dwarf compatriot. She turns to Rigel next to her, places her hand on his arm, and says with slightly slurred speech, "It's beeeen awhhhile since we've seen the clerrric. Thhink we shoulld checkk on herr?"

The bard found that nearly getting crushed to death created a nearly overwhelming thirst for alcohol. Well, that might have been every night, but at least he had a good reason to this evening. He gets into his cups alongside the sorceress beside him, turning to face her with a grin as she grasped his arm, scandalous thoughts flitting across his inebriated brain cells.

As he processed the information, he thought about responding with 'I think I'd rather check out my room...with you in it', but he shook his head slightly, looking about and realizing that Ansley HAD been gone for some time. The actor nodded to the sorceress, "Any idea where she went?"

Syeira makes an exaggerated show of thinking before boasting, "She said she'd be at the cath.. the cathed.. the church.. thats it." Syeira then jumps up from her stool and wobbles a bit before proclaiming, "To the church!" Syeira then ponders quietly, "Is it bad to be drunk in church?"

"Church!? What? Why?"

Since the only real church Runt knows is the one she was brought up in, she is quite reluctant to leave her yummy mush and enter a danger zone.

"The Cathedral?" The actor proclaimed flatly, that being one of the last places he wanted to visit with the sorceress at the moment. Still, after all the shenanigans of the evening, and the heroics of the dwarf, Rigel decided they should at least check on her.

At Syeira's question, the bard shook his head, "There's never a bad time to be drunk, m'lady, when you're in my company." The young man thought it over in his head, deciding it probably sounded rather creepy, but there wasn't much to be done about it now as they walked out the door towards the Cathedral.

Runt wolfs down the rest of his mush and follows the other two. She wants to see what happens to them at the church. As usual she doesn't say much and keeps her distance.

Two skeletons burst up from the ground, their bones and chattering shattering the peace that the town had from the previous night. Ansley was by herself, in a room with two skeletons, far from help. The time is roughly 10 pm as you reckon.

Ansley you have surprise on them, so you can act again.

"Stupid old dwarf blundering into things. Desna watch over your old girl her."

Again she calls on the power of Desna to end the un-life in front of her.

Channel Positive: 1d6 ⇒ 3

I hope its ok that I didn't roll a knowledge on the skeletons. I kind of think this is cleric 101.

"Church!? What? Why?"

Since the only real church Runt knows is the one she was brought up in, she is quite reluctant to leave her yummy mush and enter a danger zone.

Turning to the diminutive human, Syeira looks perplexed at the question as if the answer should be obvious. She then shrugs her shoulders and responds cheerfully, "To check on the dwarf of course"

At Syeira's question, the bard shook his head, "There's never a bad time to be drunk, m'lady, when you're in my company." The young man thought it over in his head, deciding it probably sounded rather creepy, but there wasn't much to be done about it now as they walked out the door towards the Cathedral.

Syeira pauses mid-stride at the comment. "Does he mean he can only stand to be around me when I'm drunk?" "I'll have you know I'm-" Syeira begins to respond before she realizes the bard is already making his way to the door. She huffs to herself before following him out of the inn.

Rigel heard Syeira start to comment, and continued on his way as though he hadn't. No sense in starting an argument with the slightly inebriated woman...especially in his own less-than-ideal state. As he got to the door, he held it open for the sorceress and also Runt as she passed through. He bowed slightly, hoping to make up for his verbal faux pas.

Then he followed the duo out into the night towards the Cathedral to check on the do-gooder dwarf and whatever she was up to. Perhaps it wouldn't put too much of a damper on his evening.

If a cleric cant tell you what a zombie or a skeleton is, they need to hang up their robes.

With that final burst of energy, the old bones before Ansley fall clattering to the ground in a heap. A close inspection would reveal them to be from some of the graves around a center pedistal, however the bits of cloth and stuff would say something, or someone, was resting there not to long ago. Maybe searching the area would realize some clues to what happened.

I need to get the others I think. Still best to looks around first."

Since there is no pressure I will take 20 to look around.

Syeira pushes her way through the doors of the cathedral with the grace of an ox. At the loud noise of the door opening, Syeira turns to the rest of the drunk brigade and whispers loudly, "Shhh!!" Syeira then turns back to the room and says rather vociferously, "Ansley? Are you in here? Are you ok?"

Sorry for any slowness on my part. I've been slammed with work, holiday prep, and preparing for my one year anniversary. If I'm at all slow to post this month, feel free to move on and/or bot me.

Runt waits at the door, suspiciously peering inside, unwilling to enter. When she sees the skeletons on the floor she involuntarily takes a step back.

"Maybe we should leave?"

Rigel is more than happy to let the women be the first to enter the tomb, wondering what Ansley would be doing here of all places. He guessed dwarves honored the dead when there was celebrating to be done. They seemed a somber enough bunch, really.

Seeing the skeletons on the floor, the bard's eyebrow arched up. "Ummm, Ansley...what's going on?" This was an unexpected twist...necromancer guard captain. Who knew?

When the rest of the imromptu team enters Ansley relaxes. "Come in here, I could use your eyes."

Explaining what happened.

"Well...."

she scratches her head and looks around.

"So, here is the thing, back home I was.... you don't need all that. Lets just say I am thorough."

she signs

"I wanted to make sure that the places of Desna were not messed with during the attack. For some reason there were skeletons lurking about in here. Desna's blessing makes me well suited to the problem so" she points to the bones "there just bones again. Mind helping me look around to see if there is any clue as to what was happening?"

Make me a roll to look around if you wish, or by friday I'll use one of Ansleys previous ones.

Runt calls out from the doorway, as she is NOT yet in the temple.

"Is this a temple to your god. I thought she liked butterflies, not skeletons. Are you sure this is not a temple to some skeleton god?"

She sure seems unconcerned. Maybe she is really a priest for a skeleton god in disguise! Maybe she will make those skeletons rise up and attack us!!! I remember Antara (a priest of Lamashtu) did that once. Nasty piece of work, he was. Poor bloke just praised some other god at the wrong time and place.

Syeira nudges the bones with her feet just to be sure they're dead ... again. With the excitement of completing their quest to find Ansley over, Syeira finds her energy fading. "I'm glad you're ok, but can looking around wait until morning? I'm feeling tired and we should be able to see much better in the daylight."

"And maybe the dead won't rise in the light"

Rigel shrugged...they might as well bumble around the tomb, since they were here. Leave it to the thorough ex-guard to check on something so obscure. Still, he walked into the area and looked about.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Though you explore the room and discover it is not much bigger, behind one of the coffins you find a bundle of robes, and footprint, too human looking to have been anything else. Nothing else sticks in your mind as odd, though you could always come back.

"Hmmmm..." Rigel pilfered through the robes, wondering what business anyone had in this sacred place. Well besides for Ansley, of course. Surely she had a legitimate reason to be here.

"I wonder who's buried here? What an odd time to come and toss some robes aside. I guess they read in the will after the fact the person wanted to be buried in them and this was their ill-advised attempt to rectify things." The actor shrugged, ready to head back to the Rusty Dragon and pretend like nothing had happened like the rest of the drunken townspeople.

Runt remains hovering at the entrance, like some vampire denied entrance to a holy place.

After everyone looks around, Syeira can be found leaning against the doorway, obviously ready to return. "I doubt we'll find anything else about it tonight. Perhaps we ask around in the morning?"

"I am sorry my new friends. I just wanted to check that the beautiful new cathedral was not damaged. I did not expect this. Syeira I agree, tomorrow. I would like a beer, badly."

As you all gather for beer, and rest, the Sheriff pulls Ansley to the side and in a low conversation with her tells her about how the vault had been opened before the attacks, but that there had not been any tracks, thus leaving him to have thought it was a bad weld on the door. With your new information, and you being a priestly sort, he mentions its possible that there could be graverobbers, but with the festival still going on, you would be looking into it by yourself.

As Rigel saw Ansley pulled to the side, he frowned at not being able to hear the two. As Hemlock stepped away and Ansley came back, he bluntly asked, "What's up with the Sheriff? Bad day for him, huh?" He took a long pull of his beer, smacking his lips appreciatively.

After speaking with the sheriff Ansley is at a big of a loss. New to town and new to the people she has been working with today she is unsure how to approach this or even if they should.

Reluctantly she brings up what she has learned to the rest of the throwen together group. Finally saying that she would feel remiss if she did not look into it and any harm came to anyone else.

"Still you each have your own problems I know. We were thrown together today so I am not sure if any of you are interested in a problem like this."

It seems this new life has some of the same problems as my old life.

Syeira listens as Asnley talks. "I'll look into it in the morning with you. I have no other business in town and some adventure could be fun before continuing my travels." She then flashes a grin at the bard. "How about you Rigel? Care to go lookin for trouble?"

Rigel shrugged...Cyrdak had been blowing him off for weeks, anyway...what were a few more days? "Sounds like a plan to me. Surely the goblins couldn't think their little assault would succeed on a town of this size. Something else is going on."

"Goblins probably didn't care. Just like to kill dogs and bite humans. Easy to manipulate. Probably tools."

Fingering the coins in her purse, Runt adds, "We will investigate."

This was stated more like a statement of truth than a command.

As the group continues to discuss this and various other items into the night, learning more about each other and their reasons for being in the town, they eventually drift off to sleep in the manner they had secured lodging. After a good nights rest, and gathering in the Rusty Dragon inn once again in the morning, the group is eating breakfast while others are getting ready for the days festives. Sure the mood had damped some, but you got the feeling due to the Sheriff's presence and your life saving actions, none felt to worried. You have the whole day before you, with little else besides investigating the tomb robbing, however you feel you can start where ever you wish to.

Over breakfast Runt mutters through her food, "Go to Vault now?" Though obviously 'now' does not actually mean now, as Runt is still working on her large meal, though from past experience finishing it will not take long. How a shrimp like her is able to pack away so much food in so little time is just short of miraculous.

Rigel stretched and rubbed his back and side where the explosion had injured him, looking down at the smooth patch of skin now covering the area. He didn't know what to think of Ansley, but her priestly powers had sure come in handy. Maybe she wasn't so bad now.

He came down and joined the others for breakfast, perhaps not eating as fast as Runt but still digging in with a healthy appetite. At the diminutive woman's suggestion, the actor nodded. "Sounds like a great idea, Runt. I wonder who's buried there, anyway?"

Ansley wakes early and takes a walk before joining the others for breakfast. As normal she is not armored but does carry her mace and shield.

"Morning. Lets hope it is less exciting then yesterday."

Once Runt tactfully broaches the topic of the vault Ansley stops eating.

"I belive it was a deceased priest but I am not sure. Certainly worth looking into, was a bit of a thing with the skeletons. Maybe some other people could use a hand as well, after helping yesterday I would bet people will ask for more."

As the sun rises, Syeira makes her way down towards breakfast. Its instantly recognizable from her demeanor, that she is in no way a morning person. She sits down at the table with the others and barks,
"Coffee" to the nearest waitstaff.

As the group discusses the days plans, Syeira silently drinks her mug, her demeanor improving with every sip. By the time she finishes, she is back to her chipper self.

"Checking the vault first thing sounds splendid."

Rigel offered a smile to the sorceress as she made her way down, but at a second glance at the expression on her face, he keeps any comments to himself until she had a bit of coffee to help the waking up process. Once everyone was done, the actor hopped to his feet, gathering his few belongings. "Well let's get going, then. I'd rather be done with this when I go to meet with Cyrdak...sometime soon."

With that, the bard is ready to proceed as long as the others are ready.

"Right, I appriciate the help. It was a good thing I only ran into skeletons last night, the power of Desna can deal with them easily. A couple of humans or goblins would have been difficult alone."

Looking at the others.

"Once your coffee gets you moving we can head out."

Runt scoots off the bench and onto the floor, not pausing to wipe her face, leading the way out, but then stops at the entrance looking around with confusion.

"Forget where vault is. Runt follow."

Somehow she makes the question into an accusation and glares at everyone.

AS the group heads out, the festival seems to be back in full spirits, but it becomes obvious some of the guards are now carrying swords, and there seems to be more of those adventurers about, some of them very clearly better equipped than you mere travelers. The mirth and joy however seems to be obvious, as you and all those who helped the previous day are greeted and waved at by the townfolk who seem to know what you did. On your way to the vault, you notice the patrols seem to have just a few more people, maybe four or five just wandering, but obviously on guard duty. As you get to the vault, what was done in the dark has been brought to the light. The scruffed ground and the surrounding area is obviously messed up. The time is 9 o'clock

"Hmmmm...maybe there are tracks? I'm more of a city boy, myself." He looked at the diminutive woman hopefully, thinking that Runt out of any of them would possess the prerequisite skill to follow wherever the late night tomb-breakers had went.

"Find out what they took."

Curious in spite of herself, Runt wants to know what they could possibly want from inside a vault.

"Go inside. Then follow tracks outside."

Having witnessed animated skeletons, Runt wonders at the wisdom of entering the tomb, but enters anyway. I assume 'vault' meant a tomb of some sort..

She looks around, following the tracks into the vault, trying to figure out what they were interested in.

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18 type of tracks?

"Hmm, been more of a city dwarf myself but its worth a look at the tracks anyway. I should at least be able to tell goblin from human feet."

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Syeira looks at the tracks over the shoulders of the others with a perplexed look on her face. "I have no idea what I'm looking at. I'm not a city girl like you but I never really payed any attention to tracking. I'll defer to your lead."