Treasurefox's Rise of the Runelords (Inactive)

Game Master TreasureFox

The Ogre hesitates and starts counting on his fingers.

"Probably less than twenty recently, Cleo." Kemras says for the benefit of those who don't speak Giant. Abruptly, he scowls at the ogre.

"So we can't trust him, and he's murdered around twenty people recently, boasting about it even." Cleo sighs, looking rather tired for a moment. "We have no way to restrain him effectively and if we delay an entire town full of people might be endangered. she pauses then adds "I will take responsibility for his death."

In a loud clear voice, she says to the ogre.

Back to combat?

A look of surprise and worry crosses the Ogre's face, followed by rage.

Unfortunately for him, the Ogre is completely outmatched, and the entire Cobbled Shield is able to react before him. He falls over dead, covered in arrows, bludgeon strikes, waveblade slashes, rapier stabs, and maybe even holy fire.

Combat over.

Two of the three humans locked in their cell have been at the bars, watching the fight. One of them, a half-orc with short, black hair, falls to his knees. He stares at the ground and tears flow down his face, though he refuses to weep. The other man, a Chelish human, just sighs in complete relief. His eyes show that he barely has the strength to stay conscious. The third man, a Varisian man with long brown hair, is still unconscious on the floor. All three men are completely naked, and are covered in terrible bruises, welts, and cuts. The back of their cell is covered in waste.

Cleo lets another long sigh, as Aggah celebrates. She quickly goes to the men in the cages "They are gone, and you all are free." she does a quick prayer to heal them as much as she can and then start making sure they have food and water.

"Furnok or Kemras, do either you have any spare clothes on you?"

channel: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 6, 2) = 18

Cleo's channel helps a little bit, as the bruises and welts heal up, but the trio only look slightly better. She spots a key hanging on the wall, but her little Cleo arms fail her.

Still, Cleo can start giving them food and water, and the two men start eating ravenously. The third man eventually wakes up now that Cleo's healed him, but he stops eating when he looks at his rescuers.

"K-Kemras?" Kaven asks, in a voice so hoarse it's barely recognizable.

Imagining Cleo jumping up and down, trying to get key.

Furnok gets the key and unlocks the door. Sorry, just got what I am wearing

The Chelish man looks at Kaven inquisitively, then says to Furnok in a weakened voice "They might have our stuff upstairs."

Upstairs, Furnok finds a small armoury. There's also a door left open that leads to the top of the watchtower. In the armoury, Furnok finds several sets of clothing, all browns and greens, designed for travel in rugged wilderness. Unfortunately, they're also torn, soiled, or bloody.
He also finds quite a few weapons and armour, each of which are engraved with a simple black arrow.

Resting on a chair at the top of the watchtower lays a Horn of Pursuit. Functions as the spell Horn of Pursuit. Can be used at will. Worth 2000gp

Kemras' eyes widen slightly, but he keeps himself calm. "Sorry, Cleo. I haven't got anything spare myself - especially not anything dry." He walks over to Kaven, kneeling beside him and quickly looking him over for wounds or other injuries that might need more immediate treatment.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into some serious trouble, haven't you?" He mutters to his friend. "Ogres? That's a bit of a step up from angry fathers and jealous rivals, isn't it?"

He glances at the other two men briefly, but is content that they seem more... healthy than his old friend.

Kemras Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Kemras can easily tell that these men have all been starved to near death. Not only are they all skinny as can be, but some of their muscle mass has disappeared as well. Kaven was the worst off, given that he was never a strong guy to begin with. Kemras can also see that Kaven is suffering from filth fever, and a less immediately serious, but still a very unfortunate disease occasionally called Survivor's Curse. It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that these men might also be suffering from some mental issues as well.

Kaven has never shown emotional vulnerability, but today he looks into Kemras' eyes and begins to weep.

Each man has a -4Str, -4Dex, and -8Con. The Dex and half the Con are from Filth Fever. The rest can be healed normally now that they've got food and water. Survivor's Curse is a magically resistant disease (SR20 vs any spell that cures disease), that slowly imposes penalties to Fortitude saves. It operates on a frequency of months. Insanities are much harder to get rid of.

Cleo gives a smile of thanks to Furnok for his helpful height, giving the key to Kemras so he can assess the damage. She goes to her pony, Flour, who is patiently waiting on her inside the entrance. "good girl" she strokes her nose. In her saddle bags, she pulls out two blankets and carries them back to the men for some kind of covering.
When Aggah sees what she is going to do, she lets out a moaning whimpering "Blanky?" Cleo gives her friend her most apologetic feelings across their bond as well as a promise to clean and return Blanky as soon as she cleans the cloths someone found upstairs.

She also pulls off her poncho and cloak for one of the men until then. Then she'll search for a tub, soap, and something to use for scrubbing. Ask someone to start a fire, and get to work cleaning then drying enough cloths for the men.

Cleo diligently sets about her work as the men wrap themselves in blankets. As Kaven puts wraps the blanket around his waist, Kemras and Wabbit notice that he's got the sihedron rune tattooed on his wrist.

Furnok goes about making a fire, while Cleo gets to work scrubbing clothes. There's no magic available to make the job easier, and no tub either. The only thing that Cleo can find is soap. So she uses the balcony of the watchtower to wash and scrub at the clothes, making sure not to tear them any further. Though she doesn't have any tailoring skill, she does have enough leatherworking knowledge to patch up the rips and tears.
This work will take Cleo most of the day.

Most of the crates and containers of the watchtower have already been rooted through, leaving very little food. The group is able to find carrots, cabbage, and leeks. All the meat has been taken, and it seems the Ogres don't like their vegetables. There is also a basic tailor's kit, several whetstones, a handful of square nails, a cooking kit, carpenter's tools, three backpacks, a wooden holy symbol of Erastil, a book of amateur poetry, and half a dozen letters addressed to Kaven.

Maybe turn the backpacks into pants.

Anyone want to ask questions?

Once they are covered and fed, Cleo will ask gently "Can you tell us what happened?"

The half-orc and Kaven look to the Chelish man, an older man with an eyepatch and leathery skin. He speaks as though he's rehearsed this debriefing.
"It feels like ages ago, but some time ago, maybe a week or two, I left Fort Rannick with a dozen brothers that I knew from the moment they first joined the Order. Among them are Kaven and One-Shot." He gestures to Kaven and the Half-Orc. "We were going on an extended patrol West along the Kreegwood, then up Lake Coal, and along the bottom of the mountains. Then we would double back and return to the Fort. It's a three day patrol, done every second week. But this time, we were... delayed."
He pauses for a moment, watching the campfire flames crackle before him.
"We were on our third day, though well behind schedule, when we noticed smoke from the Fort. We raced as quickly as we could, but did not come near the Fort until sundown. Tired as we were, and not wanting to fight in the dark, we hunkered down in the woods. Unfortunately, we were ambushed. I don't know how they found us, since we always covered our tracks, but the Ogres and goblins stormed the camp while we slept. We were prepared for a possible attack, but nothing like the hoards that came at us. At least a dozen Ogres, bearing the weapons of my brothers, charged us headlong. We made a fighting retreat, with a third of my men giving their lives. I should have been one of them."
He glances around to see everyone's reaction to that last statement. Then he says "We ran 'till dawn with worg riders nipping at our heels, taunting us as we fled. Two more of my brothers fell at their jaws, and were ripped apart and feasted upon while they still lived. At dawn, we reached this accursed watchtower, and rushed in without even thinking. We saw three Ogres sitting here, waiting for us. With the worgs behind us and the Ogres ahead, we made our stand in the doorway. There I lost another brother, and the rest of us were captured. Our fate would be the worst."

Now staring directly in the eyes of his audience, he says
"Here we are. The raped and pillaged. Survivors damned to relive our failure each time our bodies demand we shut our eyes. Pray to whatever Gods you want, but Hell exists, and it's right here!"
He slams his hand into the fire, before standing up and howling in anguish. The other two men wince as the first man storms upstairs.
The half-orc One-Shot whispers after the man gets up the stairs "Thank you, for saving us." Kaven nods and lies on his side, huddled in the fetal position with his blanket.

Wabbit listens to the horrible tale, not knowing what to say

Finally settling on a response that still seems totally inadequate we'll make em pay for what they've done and make sure they can't do it to anyone else

Cleo as always has no idea how to help people's pain. All she can do is help make them comfortable. When she is away from them for a moment, she asks "Kemras, Kraven is the friend you were looking for? Are you going to go back with him or continue heading to the damn with us?"

Furnok is silent but it is obvious that he is shaking with fury at the horrible treatment of the soldiers.

Kemras remains silent as the others discuss matters, his brow furrowing slightly. "I wonder why this happened now of all times. What changed, such that it allowed the ogres to attack the fort so easily?"

He sighs at Cleo's question. "I would like to know more about what is going on at the dam. That said, I think that Fort Rannick is in dire need of some sort of investigation as well..." He glances at Kaven. "I can help you heal some of their wounds, but the diseases are beyond my abilities. If you three wish, I could try to escort you back to Turtleback Ferry, but I do not believe it would be any safer there than it is out here."

One-Shot nods along with Wabbit's declaration. He says "Give me a bow and I'll do anything I can to help."

Kaven mutters "I wanna go home."

The other man is still at the top of the watchtower, yelling obscenities at the storm.

Anymore questions? If not, Cleo needs time to take care of everything. How do you want to spend the afternoon/evening? What do you want to do with the loot? And what do you do with the Ogre bodies?

"We can come with you. We'll lose more time." Cleo says with worry but agrees "You are right though, we cannot leave them here by themselves either. And I fear having your help at the damn if more important than time."

Cleo does what she can for the rest of the day, but she will request if Furnok is willing, to drag the ogre bodies out of the tower.

did you already roll spellcraft for us on the unidentified loot?

Furnok and Bacon drag the bodies out, drafting the fierce battle pony to help them.

I didn't roll spellcraft. I think there's two rolls to make

The super studious Cleo Gingerberry looks at the boots and chain shirt and says, "I think they are magical?"

spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

If no one else has a desire for the arrows, Aggah can always use them.

The chain shirt is magically enchanted to help protect against the attacks of giants. The boots however are unknown to Cleo.
+1 defiant (giants) chain shirt

Kemras takes a glance at the boots himself, before looking at the others. "I have no wish to poke my nose into Fort Rannick unprepared... but I do think we ought to figure out what is going on here. Do you have any ideas as to how the ogres and goblins managed to break their way into the Fort?" He asks the survivors.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32

Kemras identifies the boots as boots of friendly terrain (mountains).

Kaven doesn't answer, but instead looks to One-Shot. The Half-Orc says "Well, between the scouting party and the commander on a communion walk, there weren't as many in the Fort. The Ogres would of had to show up at just the right time, and if we weren't delayed, we probably would've had a much better chance. They didn't have time to siege the fort, so I guess they smashed in, but everything's reinforced to protect against Ogres. But since they were waiting for us in this tower... I think they're organised."

Kemras' lips twist in a puzzled frown. "A communion walk? Was this something that your commander often did?" He casts a glance at Kaven and his eyes narrow. Now why would that be, Kaven? What exactly did or didn't you do? He does not yet confront his friend, refocusing his gaze on the half-orc.

Sense Motive (inspired, free): 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 13 + (5) = 30

"Once each season. He had some sort of nature connection." One-Shot says. "We never really know where he goes. He can't be tracked. But yeah he was on his communion walk when the Ogres attacked."

The group finishes their questioning and gets ready for the evening. The man who was yelling eventually comes downstairs, just exhausted and sulking. Not much more is said, but the group does learn that the man's name is Jakardros, 2nd in-command. He sure doesn't seem to be acting like a leader at this point. Cleo finishes washing and mending the men's clothing, and by nightfall they're in their attire again. None of the men request their old equipment, but One-Shot did previously say he'd fight with the party against the Ogres, using a bow.

In the middle of the night, the floor rumbles and vibrates under everyone, waking them up. Cleo's pony rears, while Bacon squeals. Even Aggah feels a wave of distress, though she's not sure what it's about.

Are giants approaching? Furnok heads up the stairs.

Kemras lifts himself from his rest, looking around quickly. "Hopefully not. That said, if there are giants coming, we can use the watchtower to defend against them." He cocks his head, listening carefully and trying to determine where the shaking is originating, and what may have caused it.

Perception (inspired): 1d20 + 18 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 18 + (3) = 28

Cleo starts to pull on her armor muttering about sleep, Aggah huddles next to her with her weapon.

Kemras doesn't really hear anything, but more feels the ground beneath him shake. It isn't a violent shake, just enough to wake everyone.

Hmmm.. The ground be shaking. Seems like an earthquake. Rather odd it is happening this far inland.

Kemras nods slightly. "I wonder what might have caused it... while I'm not sure it isn't natural, nor am I sure that it is." He scratches his chin with a frown. "If it were from the coast, then the coast would be devastated, because it would be tremendous. More likely it's a landslide. But," he frowns, "that would be odd that we haven't heard it. Those are quite loud."

Knowledge (geography): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Earthquakes are gonna have to wait. We need to take care of the storms first, After that we can work on earthquakes and tsunamis

About five minutes later, Kemras is noticing that the river is sounding more turbulent.

"That... doesn't sound good. We should evacuate the watchtower, or get to higher ground - I suspect we'll end up getting very wet if we don't." Kemras says grimly. "Between earthquakes and storms, I think we'll end up with nastier and nastier floods."

Wabbit asks the half-orc who still has a fighting spirit Is this the highest spot or is there higher ground nearby we can evacuate to?

"Uhm, well we could go up the mountain." One-Shot says.
Jakardros replies "That'd take us close to the Fort. It'd be better if we moved West deep into the Kreegwoods, then we could travel southwards to end up in Bitter Hollow."

"We have to get to the damn. Does the west route take us closer?" Cleo is gathering up all their stuff as fast as one little halfling and her distracted goblin can manage.

One-Shot tries to help by answering "You have to go past the Fort to get to the dam, unless you go through Ashwood and the Wyvern Mountains. That's on the other side of the river."

Jakardros says "I saw the ferry in the middle of the river. Doriana and Ivek are definitely dead, so we can't get across the river."

Kaven pipes up "Maybe we go to Bitter Hollow? What is it?"

Jakardros replies "Tiny place. It's like a little outpost for trade between Turtleback and the Gnomes of Sanos. Wouldn't even call it a village. Way I see it, we got three options.
1. We hunker down at Bitter Hollow and wait for disease to kill us.
2. We throw ourselves on the Ogre's swords.
3. We stay here and wait for Ogres to check on their dead friends."

Kaven asks "What if the tower floods?"

"I think it might get our feet wet, but it's not like it'd take down the tower or something." Jakardros replies.

Kemras hears a rumbling sound, like a landslide. He can't pinpoint its direction while inside the tower. Furnok hears it soon after.

"We need to go through the fort then. We cannot wait here while the town is destroyed. You can come with us if you wish, or stay here. Your choices." packed and ready she looks to her companions. "Ready?"

those are just her thoughts of course, backed by stubborn halflingness

I'm hearing this rumbling sound. I'm going to look outside and see if I can pinpoint anything. Furnok heads for the door.

READY! Fort it is

Kemras sighs. "Well, I had hoped to get some more sleep and to prepare my spells, but I don't think it wise to stick around too much longer."

"Alright, let's go get ourselves killed." Jakardros complains. "Least we could get it over with."

Furnok heads for the door and opens it. A surge of water washes over his feet and into the hallway. Though the door faces downriver, Furnok can immediately tell that the river has expanded to encompass most of the tower. He sees branches and rocks being swept down the river, with the water looking dark and muddy.