Investigating the area outside, near a side window that looks into the workshop, you see three sets of footprints, one child sized.
Two sets head off to follow a small game trail toward the Old Ruin.
The last heads around the back of the building and toward the sawmill.
In addition, a set of greasy, child-sized palm prints are smudged near the bottom of the window’s glass.
"It seems at least one small person, perhaps a child, was here, but it's hardly proof that it was one or both of the missing children. What do you make of it?"
"Were there many fomor? Were they driven off or did they just leave?"
This ain't natural. Sumpn' is real off wit this guy."
While the man speaks, Jexen keeps an eye out for anything unusual in the sawmill. Blood, traces of the fomor, signs of a struggle.
"Jex does seem very competent but Fomor are unscrupulous creatures. I am concerned that the Fomor have been craftier than expected and would ascertain whether they are truly gone."
Cynerik had been patiently listening after they arrived at the Sawmill, watching Clyde as he worked. His anger was understandable, sympathetic even, but such anger could be misplaced so very easily. Jexen took the lead talking to him while Cynerik walked around the area, carefully watching out for anything of interest.
Slugoth looks closely at Brinda's findings, Interesting, perhaps we should regroup with the others before further investigation, he says rubbing his chin.
Behind a stack of wood stacked up against the house, near the back porch, you also discover three dead rats, their corpses cut open and mutilated. Their blood was used to draw some arcane symbols on the wall of the house.
Jexen looks over the tracks in silence.
And then he sees the rats.
Very quietly, he turns to Cynerik and nudges him towards the sight.
"Cynerik, can you make sense of this?"
He wants to know what he can before he speaks to the owner again.
T.A.S. follows Brinda's call. "Interesting..." he says. "I wonder where these lead to..?"
He examines the fingerprints trying to find out if they were from a humand child and where they lead to.
In a quiet corner of the town, the group once again together,"We found two sets of tracks leading away from the smith, he seems pretty set on the boys having stolen his wears. What'd the rest of you find out?"
Assuring the sawmill owner, Jexen decides to leave with Cynerik.
To the others:
"The sawmill owner is adamant that the bonesmith took his boys, who had previously accused them of stealing from him. There were Fomor in the area recently. There were two sets of tracks leading from the sawmill towards the bonesmith's, one adult and one child-sized. And most disturbingly, there were three rats cut open and mutilated behind a stack of wood. Their blood used to draw arcane symbols on the wall of the sawmill house."
The group gathers together and shares their knowledge.
About a month or so back, a group of Fomors attacked a caravan, leading to most caravans avoiding the area. Jex, the owner and manager of the Bloody Stump Inn, who's also an expert tracker, followed the trail. After she returned a day or so later, she said she lost the trail (this is according to Clyde).
A day or so back, someone stole the weapons and bones from the Bonesmith. The elf believes it was Clyde's two boys - and you found a child's footprints at the Bonesmith's shop leading from the Sawmill. You also saw a greasy hand print on the window matching a person the size of a child. Additionally, there were two sets of adult size prints in the same vacinity heading into the forest. The Bonesmith claims that he only uses bones from an old unused graveyard.
At the Sawmill, you found one child size and one adult size set of foot prints leading away from the sawmill and towards the Bonesmith's. You also found three dead rats, their bodies carved into surgically and blood drawn on the walls in arcane symbols (those who were there were unable to identify them). Clyde believes the Bonesmith took his boys, but when pressed about any other possible culprit, he brought up the Fomors.
Kandl managed to talk to a bunch of locals, and their words can be found here (Open the spoiler for Kandl).
"I surmise that there is *something* out in the woods. Perhaps these fomor never truly left. Perhaps someone in town decided to make a deal with them. I say we follow the trail, and see if it leads to this 'Cheqwood Copse'."
"I'll follow the adult tracks. If it were a kidnappin' I ken show 'em a close up o' me axe."
Brinda nods. "We should head into the woods. But perhaps some of us at least should follow the child's footprints? Finding them is our goal, and we can be reasonably sure we'll find one of them at the end of that trail, whether alive..." She leaves the thought hanging.
At the Bonesmith's, there is a set of child size foot prints which came from back around the shop and from the sawmill. It's apparent that a kid came from the sawmill and to the Bonesmith, and then left a handprint on the window. It leads nowhere else.
There is a set of adult and child size footprints that go from the back porch of th sawmill and lead to the Bonesmith's. This set of tracks started near where you saw the bloody arcane drawings. It leads nowhere else.
The last set of footprints start at the same window at the Bonesmith's, but head into the forest.
Several hours pass as you try to follow the tracks into the woods. It eventually leads to an old abandoned building, the outer structure crumbling.
Only a few of the walls are still there.
Based on the tracks going in and out of this locale, there are probably a couple handful of people who live here.
We should approach with caution, Slugoth says softly, as if that wasn't obvious he adds stifling a laugh.
Brinda follows a short way behind Slugoth, keeping her expression smooth so as not to betray her desperate desire to cast actual spells at enemies. She can feel the magic swirling in her blood now, like adrenaline, over-stimulating her, bursting to be released...
Kandl shared what he learned of the tracks on his expedition, as well as the various rumors he heard.
"Since it looks like there are people who live here, we should try approaching them like we would anyone who we were approaching in their home."
Cynerik sat in the seat listening to the others report back what they had learned. There was something going on within this small community, something more sinister than just the kidnapping of two young boys. His head lifts up as he takes a bit of charcoal and mimics the arcane design upon the table.
"Brinda...T.A.S...., what do you two make of it?" It was certainly dark magic of some sort but what was its purpose? Perhaps they would be able to help him figure that out.
Cynerik crouched down with the others, looking between them all as they approached. Looking back at the others and noticing Slugoth with his blade drawn, he'd nod softly. "We approach quietly but we do not attack unless they have the children or fight back. Are we all agreed?"
Once an agreement was made, the veteran soldier would begin to make his way towards the ruined structure carefully and quietly. Having wandered the roads for so long though and passing through dangerous territories, the cleric knew where to put his feet down and where to carefully maneuver to keep his approach quiet and easy.
"Agreed, Cynerik. I am ready."
As he referred to, Jexen has sword and shield drawn, as he approaches as quietly as he can manage.
You approach the old building. Some quietly, some not.
Broken stones can be seen among the weeds and thistles choking the ground.
Sköllji walks toward the crumbling house with the non-sneaking group and pauses as he notices a trap door. He whistles softly and motions to the door.
As Sköllji notices the secret door, which was painted to look like moss and blend in with the background, he steps on a trap. A spike fires up barely missing his foot.
Beneath the door is a ladder that heads down. You hear bleating sounds, as if from a goat.
Must not like company, Slugoth says in a low but gruff voice. He cautiously moves over to the trap door and opens it and heads down.
Brinda starts as the spike snaps up, nearly impaling Sköllji's foot. Her eyes wide, she moves carefully to the trap door with the others. As Slugoth begins to descend she keeps an eye out above ground, watching their surroundings for any sign of movement.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Jexen is utterly oblivious to the door, or much else.
His thoughts roam back to the battle against the bandits and the monster.
And then he snaps to alertness, just before he bumps into Brinda.
"I will be the vanguard. Going last.", he corrects himself.
Jexen has rolled a negative challenge roll. His key stops and his body turns off.
Brinda turns around as Jexen speaks to her, and watches in alarm as his words slow and his limbs freeze. She hurries behind him to turn his key and wind him up.
Jexen speaks, and then darkness claims him.
Brinda winds Jexen as quickly and as quietly as she can. Once he seems operational, she nods to him and resumes her position, watching and waiting for someone to show themselves, or for her companions to unearth something.
Slugoth reached down and opens the door, and strange sounds erupt immediately.
What is it?
I think there are people above.
We shall kill them and consume them and take their stuff.
Maybe we should wake the others up first?
Yes.. yes.. good idea.
But there are four of us. Surely we could overpower them.
What if there are too many of them?
Well, how many are there?
Look! Light! They opened the door! Krickagin, look up and see!
I'm not looking up! Jogorn, you look up!
No! Not unless Glarkon comes with me!
Why should I have to look up?
Maybe we should get the others.
Cynerik begins to walk with the others, noticing at just the same time the trapdoor that is part of the ruined building. Nodding at Slugoth, he was approaching right when that spike nearly caught the dwarf off-guard. It only reconfirmed his thoughts that this was where they needed to be, where they would begin to get some answers.
"Be careful everyone. I am sure they are expecting us." The cleric whispers before getting closer to the trapdoor. Before Slugoth opens it up and heads down, the guttural voices inside speak in some sort of strange, wicked tongue. Cynerik wasn't sure of the words but he was certain of one thing; it didn't sound good.
A hand would rest upon Slugoth's shoulder for a moment before shaking his head. "Not yet. Let us prepare. I expect...trouble." Cynerik would gesture for the party to kneel with him and he would lift that tattered book. Already damaged lightly from the bandit ambush that had occurred when they all first banded together, it had become worn from constant reading and rereading.
"Everyone. Place your hands upon me. Have faith." Cynerik murmured as he settled the book upon his knee. Flicking through the pages with an experienced hand, he landed upon the proper prayer and began to speak in formal tongue of High Archaic once each member had a hand upon him.
"Quoniam magnus dominus, et virtutis Dei,
Creator generis amor et pax,
Vos enim nostis ut vivere,
servire regnare est tibi.
Per intercessionem martyris
esto praesidium adversus omnes.
Auxilium nostrum violentiam vincere bello
et statuam tuum converteris misericordiam et iudicium et legem.
Per filii tui, Dómine omnípotens.
maker and love of peace,
to know you is to live,
and to serve you is to reign.
Through the intercession of the Martyr,
be our protection in battle against all evil.
Help us to overcome war and violence
and to establish your law of love and justice.
Grant this through your children, almighty Lord
The prayer would finish and with those final words, a warmth would resonate within every single person there. It would start in the core and spread through, a sense of peace and determination settling into everyone there. Even the Clockworks would feel it, the warmth of something holy bolstering them. The fear of the dark would seem less and Cynerik would rise with a fiery resolution in his eyes.
"Let us find those boys. Slugoth, lead the way. I'm right behind you." Drawing his club and shield, Cynerik prepared to bring God's wrath on whoever brought such dark arts to this peaceful town.
With the prayer finished, the door opened, and the words spoken in Dark Speech ringing in his ears, Quickly, before reinforcements arrive, there are 4... and without finishing his sentence Slugoth rushes down the ladder into the pit.
Slugoth drives a deep slash across his opponent's arm.
Slugoth advances slowly with his shield raised.