Kentaur keeps an eye out
Climb check for Milo to get up the tree to get the body of Yegalash down.
Tirnel detects faint aura of necromancy.
Knowledge planes and arcana checks please.
No one sees any enemies lurking nearby. The body like that of the unicorn is strangely devoid of insects or scavengers.
Milo does his best to shimmy up the tree and release the rope.
Aha! Magic has been used here.... What are the odds that this poor soul should end up like that unicorn?
Milo is able to shimmy up the tree and untie the rope to lower Yegalash to the ground where Ibram removes the rope from around the body's neck.
Kentaur and Quinary continue to keep a wary watch.
Once Milo has Yegalash's body lowered to the ground he quickly climbs back down, sits on the ground, and takes the dead man's body into his arms; slowly rocking back and forth quietly humming and cooing what sounds like a peasant child's nursery song. It is quite apparent for the moment that Milo's mind is lost and he will be of no use to anyone for a while.
Tirnel makes a note of the strange circumstances of the Yegalash's death and assesses Milo's state.
Matter of factly and clinically-This man was slain in a similar manner to that of the unicorn. I have never seen anything like it in all my years and I fear that if it is the work of the Stag Lord we will be quite outmatched in any confrontation with him.
He then continues to search the area for magic or anything else of value.
~detect magic~
Quinray looks at the fallen form that was once Yeglish, and only sees his forlorn friend. He senses the traumatic loss Milo is enduring. It brings an intense feeling to Quinray. Quinray is bewildered and feels a deep sadness. Should he care or not? He has seen things like this before.
I will patrol the area as all of this gets worked out
Patrol
"This is not the work of Erastil. I don't know what it is."
Ibram lets Milo work out his grief and stands guard.
"Sorry for your loss, laddy."
Kentaur continues to scour the area.
After a long while (into the late afternoon) Milo finally comes back to the present.
I'm sorry my friends; Yegalash was the last piece of family I had in this world and why I cam to the Stolen Lands to begin with. Please help me find an appropriate place to bury him and maybe Ibram could give him a blessing to see him to the foot of The Longbow. He was a good man and a better friend. I will miss him from this day until my last.
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In my patrol did I find an appropriate place to bury Milo's friend?
Really...
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When the site is ready,
-that hand sticking out made me cry, I was laughing so hard-
"Yegalash was a good master, tutor and friend. Judging from what he left us in Milo, he was successful in any endeavor he took up.
He is now with Erastil in the eternal hunt. May your pace be quick, your chase be long, your scent be strong, and your arrow strike true."
Ibram jams one of his Javelins where a headstone would be, bows his head and waits to see if Milo wants to add anything...
Quinray stands to the side. As Ibram stabs the javelin in the ground, he watches and listens intently to Milo's words.
For maybe the first time since Milo joined the group the party realizes exactly how young Milo is and yet how much horror he has seen in those few years.
He looks at Ibram with eyes flush with tears and speaks in a voice husky with emotion-Thank you Ibram, your words do Yegalash great honor. They sound like what he would have said at a time like this.
He looks at the low mound of dirt and rock-Yegalash, you taught me much and took me in without question. I will try to live a life that would honor you Milo takes a knife to his hand and cuts it, making a fist over the javelin and grave, letting the blood drip over them. In an angry voice-I swear by Deadeye's horns that I will hunt whoever did this and avenge your death or join you trying.
Milo bottles up the emotion that has been wracking him since finding Yegalash's body-We should make camp. It's getting dark.
Let me stand first and second watch. I will wake Kentaur when necessary. Rest my friend.
Quinray will take every watch tonight. Everyone needs rest tonight.
The night passes without event as Quinary takes all the watches.
Quinary is fatigued from staying awake all night.
Fatigued
A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.
Where to Tirnel?
In the quiet hours of the morning as the party makes breakfast and prepares to break camp Milo seeks out Quinray-Thank you for your understanding my grief and taking the watches last night. You are a true friend and I thank the Longbow for your companionship.
Tirnel is decidedly quiet and reserved during the day's march as he contemplates what force could so nastily kill both a unicorn and a stalwart fighting man.
I had you in C5 so moving into D5 which is an uneventful day and night in more forest. Quinray is now back to normal, no longer fatigued.
The group finally breaks out of the forest the next day in E5 which is more or less rolling plains with stands of trees. About lunch time you come to a river crossing where two rivers, the Thorn (coming from the North) and Shrike (coming from the East), join together and head south.
There is a rickety looking bridge across the Thorn River just north of where it joins the Shrike. There also looks to be the remains of a small structure on the far side, might have been a house at one time.
Milo uses his magic ring to walk across the waters, covering the rest of the party with his bow.
Well... All these bridges and rivers...
How about Ibram across first followed by Quinray, Kentaur, and then me. All one at a time of course. The bridge doesn't look like it would hold more than that.
Any idea about the rickety bridge?
Milo crosses the river beside the bridge and arrives on the far side unharmed. The river looks quite deep, probably 10' or more.
Tirnel confirms it is a rickety looking bridge made from wood.
cross the bridge.
cross the bridge better than Ibram.
Ibram spots the most suspect sections of the bridge and points them out to the group.
Both he and Kentaur make it across.
Tirnel will go after Quinray. He is ready to cast levitate should the bridge fail underneath him.
Quinray nimbly crosses the bridge.
Quinray momentarily loses his balance as a board gives way, but recovers before anyone else notices since he is so stealthy!
Quinray makes it across.
Tirnel crosses as well to join his comrades.
Tirnel makes it over the bridge with no troubles.
The remains of what was once a residence is about 100' ahead. Looks like 4 stone walls are still more or less upright (30'x30' in size). If there was once a roof it is now gone. Front door is battered looking but present.
Tirnel examines the house with a detect magic enchantment.
Looks like a job for someone that is especially light of foot and stealthy. What say you Quinray?
Milo grimaces at Tirnel's presumption.
I hate to say it Quinray, but this time he may be right. I'll cover you if you're up for it.
Milo readies his bow.
Slow yet steady Quinray walks to the "house". Q is good.
The front door is not locked and opens when Quinray pushes on it.
Share information with group.
If there are traps
Quinray calls out to the group: "Its a 30x30 room, looks like there are some stairs in the back leading down."
Quinray does not notice any traps.
Milo moves up behind Quinray. I've got you covered. Check the stairs; if they are safe Kentaur will have to make handy with a light spell. I can't see worth a rusty copper in true darkness.
Tirnel will advance behind Kentaur/Ibram and casts detect magic and searches the room.
Milo doesn't notice anything different than Quinray. Tirnel does not detect any magic.
Cast Light and advance
Quinray advances towards stairs.
Kentaur and Quinary are at the top of the stairs with Kentaur's light, you can see the stairs go down about 12' where they end. It looks like the area to the left at the bottom of the stairs opens into a room but you can't see into it from the top of the stairs.
It will be single file on the stairs, what is party order.
Underground again? Ughhh.... I recommend we have Quinray go down first followed by Ibram, Milo, Kentaur, then myself.
That should give Quinray enough dim light to see by without easily alerting everything that we are coming and give him a chance to suss out any potential traps.
Arrows at the ready Quinray. Let's go see who's home.
Descending into the darkness Quinray puts on his Goggles of Darkvision
Move forward and check out what in front of me.
Quinray notices that the 5th step down is trapped. Quinray can point it out and everyone can step over it or he can attempt to disable it.
Great eyes, but best we be sure. Work your magic Quinray; we will fall back just in case. I'd hate to have to run back this way and catch that step.
Tirnel directs the rest of the party to a safe distance and waits for Quinray to disable the trap.
disable and continue forward