Rise of the Runelords with a Twist (Inactive)

Game Master Shadow Bloodmoon

I hope we haven't been waiting on me... because I've been waiting for Grenz to kick in...

Khamul raises an eyebrow as Idun is un-affected by whatever was trying to get into his head when he peeked into that room ... Could it have something to do with psychic sensitivity? Or maybe it's the books.

A question for tomorrow he thinks; instead, seeing no threat, he turns away from the room, and begins to search the room where Iesha was penned...

Perception: 3d6 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3, 4, 1) + 4 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 17 and another +4 if detect danger applies...
4 ranks +3 trained +1 trait +1 guidance

"We can take the paining with us" - Grenz grunted - "We can have a word with the sheriff, and if it is not claimed by the owner or inheritor of this property, I think we can do as we please with it" - he shrugged -"If we leave it here, it can be taken by anyone anyway"

"Oh? Oh right. The sheriff. Yes. We should do that." While Caprice isn't opposed to the idea, it seems in her current guise her mind was clearly thinking finders keepers.

Khamul finds something odd in the room where Iesha was held. The broken mirror shards lie scattered in a spiral around the place where they fell out of the frame. It doesn’t take a scholar to recognize Pharasma’s symbol.

In the other room, the picture frame comes off of the wall easily enough. The brick behind the wall looks untouched, as the painting has taken the brunt of decay.

Khamul heads back into the other room (with Grenz and Idun), announcing "Nothing in here, except of course for the shards of a broken mirror fallen to the floor to describe Pharasma's symbol..." His voice rises steadily as he gets through the sentence (he's getting nervous). He continues "That's the same one that was showing in the floor mold. Is there a priest of Pharasma that we trust enough to get involved in this? Remember the Pharasmins were involved in the Bloody Knuckle gang, whatever they were up to... Whatever the answer to that question is, we've found no threats to the populace at large, so it's time to get out of here and come back with some specialists tomorrow."

As Khamul joins Grenz and Idun, his sharp eyes rake the room...

Perception: 3d6 + 4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4, 1, 2) + 4 + 3 + 1 = 15
4 ranks +3 trained +1 trait

Making the perception check just in case Idun and Grenz miss it, but I won't act on it (assuming I make it of course), until they've had a shot; they were in here first.

Perception: 3d6 + 7 ⇒ (2, 1, 1) + 7 = 11

Was worth a shot.

GrenzBot Perception: 3d6 + 12 ⇒ (4, 4, 5) + 12 = 25
Going to presume you look at what we find.

While looking at the wall behind the painting, Grenz notices that one of the bricks is loose. Prying it free, you find that there is a space behind it. In the space is a black velvet bag and a few stacks of coins. While of old mint, the platinum they are made of is quite real and quite valuable. In the bag are two glass vials with stoppers. Whatever was in them has died and rotted away to unidentifiable mush, at least without access to an alchemist's lab. Finally, a copper key is found, but you are unsure to what it might go to.

20pp, two vials of something and a copper key

"Hmm, I can try and find out what these are later?" Caprice examines the vials before carefully tucking them away with her other alchemy gear.

"Good eyes Grenz, to spot that. But I think we can safely say we have swept this place of people eating boggles. Let's get out of here and back to Sandpoint. At the very least I want to tell Belor that Bluecoat won't ever be breaking out of his jail again..."

With that as an epitah, the sweeping of Foxglove Manor is done! Khamul is heading out of this creepy house and back to Sandpoint. He wants the comforts of the Rusty Dragon...

and that will allow us to bring Dora into play as well.

Sounds good to me!

Deciding that you are finally done, for now, with this creepy old manor, you make your way back down the creaking stairs and through the cold hallways and then finally the front foyer with the odd haunted statue. As you leave, you notice that it is now much later than you expected, the slivered moon high in the sky and the area past Khamul’s light covered in darkness. As you start to walk down the path that leads away from the main house, you start to feel as if many eyes are upon you. Furtively glancing around, you start to notice tiny red pinpricks of light in the dark. At first a few, and then a few more, until finally you realize that you are actually surrounded by them. Suddenly hear something come from somewhere, a sort of murmur that you can almost make out a single word. ”Stay.”

Roll Initiative, beat a 15 and you may react first.

Init: 3d6 + 4 ⇒ (4, 6, 5) + 4 = 19
+4 dex

A press of Khamul's knees brings his hound to halt, and in a flash, his sling-staff is in his hand. His eyes dart about, trying to get a count of the potential foes, and to spot who it was who's giving commands...

Perception: 3d6 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (2, 1, 6) + 4 + 3 + 1 + 4 = 21
4 ranks +3 trained +1 trait +4detect danger

Initiative: 3d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 2, 1) + 4 = 9

GrenzBot Initiative: 3d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1, 5) + 2 = 10

Khamul’s internal spirit starts to rile him up as he realizes that he is surrounded by the flapping of wings and a communal cawing of the word, ”Stay.” He sees no one in command of them, but it appears they have some sort of collective mind as they all swarm at once. Suddenly the darkness comes alive as hundreds of black birds descend upon the trio, clawing and biting at you.

Khamul will get an attack of opportunity against the birds, then Grenz and Caprice can go. All of you take 3 points of damage from the swarms.

Presumably my poor puppy gets hit as well.. Khamul HP 12/27, Hound HP 10/13. Also if this is a swarm, you probably need Fort saves for distraction...

Khamul Fort Save: 3d6 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3, 5) + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 = 16 VS DC ???
+1 (Medium 4) + 1 Con + 1 Racial +3 spirit bonus

Fort save, Hound: 3d6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6, 3, 5) + 3 + 2 = 19 VS DC ???
+3 (2HD animal)+ 2 con

As the birds close, Khamul flails at them with his sling-staff

To Hit, AoO: 3d6 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5, 1, 5) + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 19
3 BAB +3 spirit bonus +1 str +1 enhancement
damage, AoO: 1d3 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 11 bludgeoning
3 spirit bonus +3 seance bonus +1 str +1 enhancement

I am guessing those saves are good enough not get nauseated; If I am wrong, please disregard this post.

If there is a save vs Nauseated, I will spend Martial Focus for an automatic 17 total.

As she is assaulted by the birds, Caprice panics, and her first instinct is to use her blade, even if perhaps it is not the correct weapon for the task.

Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Damage: 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Then, she'll move 20 ft away, further away from the manor.

Yep, DC 10 or be Nauseated. Most of you should make that, save for a bad roll. I will wait one more day to see if Grenz gets back to us and then bot him again so that I can continue with Khamul’s next turn.

Caprice runs towards the edge of the light, taking a few birds with her. She hacks and slashes at them, only feeling the resistance of steel hitting flesh far less than she had hoped.

Khamul swings his staff in a mighty arc, taking out a couple of the hundreds of birds that surround you, scattering many more.

Resistance to Slashing weapons, half damage. One Swarm down, three remain. One has taken 5 points of damage.

GrenzBot Flurry: 3d6 + 8 ⇒ (6, 3, 2) + 8 = 193d6 + 8 ⇒ (4, 1, 5) + 8 = 18
GrenzBot Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 71d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Grenz, without missing a beat, changes to Twisting Tiger stance and starts tearing into the birds, sending them crashing to the ground in a heap around him. Many of them fly away from him as he becomes a whirling dervish of destruction.

The remaining birds still accost Khamul and Caprice, cawing and pecking away at them. Khamul’s wild swinging of his staff is enough to scatter them however.

Caprice, you get an AoO on the birds before they do 3 damage to you. The rest of you are safe, as you have scattered the rest of the birds.

Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Damage: 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Caprice definitely doesn't seem to be having a great time with the birds.

Having broken free of the birds, Khamul heels his hound around and comes to help Idun, whipping his sling staff viciously around his head...

Hound Move action - close to the edge the swarm around Idun; again, if the swarm enter his space to attack, it will eat AoO's
Hound Standard action - attack swarm
Khamul standard action - Attack swarm...

Hound Bite: 3d6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2, 5, 3) + 1 + 2 = 13
+1 bab +2 str
Bite Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 B/S/P
+3 1.5*str (single natural weapon)

To Hit, Khamul: 3d6 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1, 1, 1) + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 11
3 BAB +3 spirit bonus +1 str +1 enhancement
damage, Khamul: 1d3 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 11 bludgeoning
+3 spirit bonus +3 seance bonus +1 str +1 enhancement

Caprice hacks and slashes at the birds, cutting a few down, but more keep coming until Khamul rides to her rescue, sending most of them cawing and taking flight away from your group. After a moment, the sounds of their wings and calls disappears into the darkness beyond Khamul’s light. You are alone once again.

"Well, haha, I suppose if we hadn't left, we wouldn't have seen the last of the threats. That's something I hadn't considered." Caprice tries to make light of the situation, but is certainly looking worse for wear.

Khamul's voice is tight as he comments: "We're all hurt, and there are hungry and unnatural things loose in the night - those were daytime birds, not owls. I ain't staying here, but is there anyplace that qualifies as shelter closer than Sandpoint? I don't think I want to be wandering the Varisian wilds at night these days... Heck, I'll even stop over that the sanitarium to put walls and a roof around me. Let's hustle as quick as we can..."

I've been looking at the maps on slides 2 and 3. We need to get back to the Lost Coast road and then up to Sandpoint, 8 or so miles. That's a long walk in the middle of the night; like 6+ hrs [30 ft move >>> 3 miles/hr X1 (road on plains) X 1/2 (poor visibility) = 1.5 mph] . Maybe we can stop at one of the farmhouses, would be a much better idea than marching all night, especially as we are all wounded. I don't know that I want to find out what DM ShadowBloodmoon has on his random encounter tables...

Caprice will, once they're on the road again, transform back into Bruce Wayne Idun.

*rolls dice behind screen* I don’t know what you are talking about.

Glad to be away from the cursed Foxglove Manor, you travel as best you can through the dark night. You tell yourself that the worst of things is behind you and yet you can’t help but to feel a quickening in your step at each sound in the night, whether the rustle of a tree branch or some animal call that is too close for comfort. When you come to the small stone bridge that crosses the Foxglove River, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, as if some invisible barrier keeps the things at Foxglove at bay. Following the trail along the river, you eventually find your way to the Lost Coast Road. You can either continue along the trail towards some of the farmhouses or follow the road north towards Habe’s place and Sandpoint.

Moonday, 21 Lamashan 4707, 12:09am. 30 degrees, Light Breeze, Clear, Farm Trails and Lost Coast Road
I wasn’t clear on the direction you wanted to go, towards Habe’s or a farmhouse.

Khamul is for the closest legitimate shelter... I'm not sure what Caprice's call is, and I'm getting worried about Grenz.

Idun keeps her eyes out for any excellent shelter they find in the wilderness, if indeed, such a thing exists.

Survival: 3d6 + 13 ⇒ (5, 5, 5) + 13 = 28

You can pick where we're heading, but Idun's keeping an eye out for if there's any particularly good spots on the way there.

The trio of adventurers hustle along the Lost Cost Road, keeping a wary eye out for trouble. As soon as Khamul spots a light indicating civilization (a farmhouse), the halfling is heading for it; he mislikes being out at night, with the hungry dead walking...

BTW Idun, you're the best diplomat in the party right now, so you get to talk to the farmers...

I haven’t heard from Grenz in a bit. Hopefully he is okay.

Deciding that shelter is probably your best bet, you head east along the farm trails, following waymarker stakes put down by the local farmers. You are wary for any sort of movement, as you know that most things this late at night should be asleep. You come across a low wooden fence, easily climbed over, that take you through a pasture towards the large shadow of what appears to be a barn. In the distance, you spot the shadow of the farmhouse. Waking someone up this late could be trouble, but being found in a barn could be just as much trouble. Plus, there are more than likely animals in the barn that might be upset at your presence.

Hide in the barn or knock at the farmhouse?

We're like, halfway to dawn at this point, aren't we?

Khamul glances over the trio and says "Idun, you knock, you're a little more civilized seeming than me and Grenz. I want more people and a door that locks, especially as just sneaking into the barn means we'll likely wake the household by waking the animals at this time of night. Also, the barn will be trapped against goblins."

My vote is Knock at the farmhouse, in case it's not obvious...

Moonday, 21 Lamashan 4707, 1:49am. 29 degrees, Light Breeze, Clear, Farm House

Making your way around to the farmhouse, you nearly get caught up in a vermin fence, but Khamul’s hound is able to see it and stops before you go over. The light left over from Khamul’s crystal shows you that this house, while still standing, needs some work on the sides and the front. The stairs to the porch creak as you step on them.

When Idun knocks, it takes a bit for someone to answer. You hear some stumbling and banging around and then a tiny light appears in one of the windows. A candle, you imagine. Eventually a voice comes with it. ”I have a crossbow and I ain’t afraid to use it!” The voice is gruff but trembles.

Was just asking the time to try and make my decision, sorry.

"Sorry, sorry! We're the crew working for Sheriff Hemlock! Just came back from hunting down some of those monsters what's been causing trouble and we were hoping to find someplace safe to stay the night in case there's more. We'd be happy with the barn even, if that's all you could spare."

Diplomacy: 3d6 + 7 ⇒ (6, 2, 6) + 7 = 21

No worries. I like to keep track of time in games, sense of verisimilitude and all.

It takes a moment for a response to come. You see the candlelight move about a bit and then finally. ”You shouldn’t be out this late. That’s when they get ya, you know.” An old man opens the door. He has a farmer’s hat on his head, a crossbow cradled in his arm and a dour look on his face. ”I got a room upstairs you can rest in. You’ll have to get cozy, s’all I got. In the morning, you can take a bath and clean the room for me. You smell of.. something. Then, you can fix my problem in the fields that Hemlock ain’t seen fit to listen to me about.” He then shows you to a room up the stairs. At first, you think he is going to give you a room with a nice straw bed and quilts, but he bypasses that room and takes you to what appears to be a storage room with some matted furs and straw lain about the floor. ”Here we go. See you in the morning.”

You can get a full night’s rest here. You can role-playing a bit before or we can skip to the morning.

I'd say given the circumstances that we're probably going to recap things when we encounter our new player, we'd want to get to the new player as soon as possible.

I agree - skip to the morning; it'd be kind of impolite to stretch out our new player's wait... It does, however, sound like we are going to have something else to deal with in the morning "you can fix my problem in the fields that Hemlock ain’t seen fit to listen to me about", before we collect our new player.

The night's rest will recover us each 4 HP. If anyone has Heal as a skill (Khamul doesn't), long term care (a DC 15 check) could make that 8 HP...

Grenz doesn’t have heal and if you stay up ‘Healing’ others, you get no rest of your own… we’ll give his speech and you can decide to look into it or not, but then we will meet up in Sandpoint with the new blood.

In the morning, the ‘friendly’ farmer is already awake and has breakfast prepared for you. A simple staple of eggs and potatoes. ”It’s all I got right now,” he says. Over breakfast, he explains what his problem is. ”We’ve been having some of our scarecrows go missing in the night. Sometimes, they come back, but they are different somehow. We think them goblins have been stealing them and messing with them, but sheriff thinks it’s just some local kids messing around. I thought maybe he was right until I saw one of them move on their own one night. I went right to town the next morning, but no one would listen to a ‘crazy old man’. You believe me, right? T’wasn’t no coincidence you came upon my door in the middle of the night.”

Khamul digs into his breakfast with a halfling's enthusiasm. Speaking between bites, "Too much stuff that shouldn't be moving has been moving in the middle of the night. I won't call you crazy, old man, not with what's been going on. Is there one of these 'different' scarecrows on the way to Sandpoint? You can come with us and point it out. Bring your crossbow..."

The farmer nods. ”I sure can. Just up the road is my cornfield. My scarecrow is back there and I ain’t been to see it since it left the other night. Now it’s back. I could use some help if it’s one of them goblin tricks.”

After breakfast and insisting in you helping clean up, he takes you up once of the farm trails to the cornfields. You spot the scarecrow in the middle of it. At first it looks like most of scarecrows out here. Ratty clothes and straw sticking out of every crevice. This one seems to have actual hair and hands however. You can tell this was not the scarecrow the farmer put up by the trembling of his crossbow at the ready and his look of horror on his face. Especially when you spot a glimmer of a red glow coming from where its eyes are.

One of its hands begins to twitch…

Note, Khamul has not done a seance yet today...

Khamul flings up a hand and says "No closer! Did anyone else see that hand twitch?" He peers at it, while keeping his longspear ready for a rush...

Perception: 3d6 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (6, 6, 4) + 4 + 3 + 1 + 4 = 28 and maybe a further +2 if that's a undead....
4 ranks +3 trained +1 trait +4 detect Danger

Idun readies her bow as well, keeping her distance but staying closer than the farmer. She stands aside such that the farmer has a clear shot.

"Even the scarecrows now? What's gotten into this world?"

The scarecrow twitches slightly, but seems unable or unwilling to move from where it is. The glow in its eyes remains. Khamul can tell that this is definitely an undead creature, most likely a ghoul of some kind. The Farmer shoots at it with his crossbow a bit prematurely and ends up burying a bolt in the hard ground. The thing struggles to get free, but as the sun is coming up, it shies away instead. The Farmer is struggling to reload the weapon.

"Khamul! Here you go!" Idun will put move up and put her blessing of haste on Khamul if he wants to fight or prevent it from fleeing.

"That's a g~+&@&n ghoul! Why the devil would you make a ghoul scarecrow?!? " Khamul is absolutely boggled, but comes back to business quickly "Well, we can put it down for you." He heels his dog forward in a walk, and starts poking away with his longspear...

Hound move action - close to 10' from the ghoul
Khamul Full Attack action

To Hit: 3d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4, 1, 1) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 11 vs ?Restrained Ghoul?
+3 bab +1 str +1 haste
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
+1 str

To Hit, haste Attack: 3d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3, 6, 2) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 16 vs ?Restrained Ghoul?
+3 bab +1 str +1 haste
Damage, haste attack: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
+1 str

You thrust and stab at the ghoul, keeping a respectable and safe distance. It claws at the air and screeches as you do so, but ineffectively. The farmer yells back, ”I ain’t done no such thing! See, they get taken and come back like this!” He fumbles once again with his crossbow, unable to get it loaded.

"Ah understood that someone's replacing your scarecrows, Ah just don' get why!" Khamul replies while jabbing away...

Khamul Full Attack action

To Hit: 3d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6, 4, 3) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 18 vs ?Restrained Ghoul?
+3 bab +1 str +1 haste
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
+1 str

To Hit, haste Attack: 3d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6, 3, 4) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 18 vs ?Restrained Ghoul?
+3 bab +1 str +1 haste
Damage, haste attack: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
+1 str

Forgot Spell Point Roll: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Longbow: 3d6 + 9 ⇒ (3, 3, 5) + 9 = 20
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

"A ghoul?" Idun seems quite surprised as well. She moves for a clear shot then fires away.

By the time the farmer is able to get his crossbow ready, Khamul’s constant jabbing and a shot through the nose of the thing from Idun stops it from moving. ”Check and see if it’s dead!”, the farmer insists. From what you can tell. The unlife has drained out of it.