GL's Shattered Star.

Game Master Grandlounge

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

"Sorry maam, but we were just admiring your flowers and wanted to be neighborly since we're visiting the area. We can be on our way if you wish. "

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Auto-pass the Nature check with +13.

As they approach the cottage, Von-Dai studies the skulls and whispers to his companions, "The skulls are boggard and troglodyte skulls. Whoever lives here is not on friendly terms with them."

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Zeltyieli smiles and says, "We did see them, they're hard to miss. Figured anyone who could do all that was someone we just had to meet."

"Well my name is Maroux. It is nice ot meet you. I have stew on the stove if you want to have lunch. The flowers grow well hear but tending the garden is rough work as you can see."

"Thanks, I'd be happy to have some lunch maam. "

She puts out a bowl of stew for each out you.

"What brings you here. You seem far from home."

sense motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

”We’re looking to get into the Lady’s Light. You wouldn’t happen to know the best way to do that, would you?”

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Sevrus, the woman seems more curious and ultimately self-interested than she seems hospitable. She likely does not care about you or your mission but you being here could be good for her.

"Well, you could go west at low tide along the islands then cut across. water is about 10ft. If you are a great swimmer or have other means. If you go southeast you will pass the Trog and Frogs. Trog cave (D) is just past the lake and the Frog village is farther south near the next lake (F). But, the war has been bad as of late. It is getting really bloody. The Trog tunnels can get you almost anywhere here, but accessing them is dangerous. The last person looking for the lady of light was interested in the tunnels. So along the water or through the tunnels and villages, I would say."

"There was someone else looking for the Lady? May I inquire how long ago that was?" and he will try the stew.

"It was about a week back she was an armored warrior and she had small group of warriors with her. She was asking about the Trogs and Frogs too."

"Did she give her name or say where she came from?"

Zeltyieli listens intently, nodding in agreement each time someone asks the question on the tip of his tongue, then adds, "How small a group? Just in case we run into some of them, it'd be useful to know."

He then asks, "About how far would it be going over the water, do you think? I could ask the Walker to let us walk over the surface, but that magic doesn't last forever.. a little less than an hour, actually."

"The woman's name was Orianah. She did not say where she was from but her group was seven including her all wearing the same armor."

Von-Dai frowns. "Were there any markings on the armor? Insignias or crests, perhaps?"

"Know but they did have a bright red plum."

Von you know this to be the helm of the Grey Maidens. Gray Maidens were the all-female, elite bodyguard for Queen Ileosa Arabasti of Korvosa. Since the queen's death, the group has been officially disbanded. A few cells, however, remain active in Varisia (outside of Korvosa) and in Cheliax.

Zeltyieli sighs, "A week is quite the head start for another skilled group. I think we need to try to figure out a way to make up the time - following them seems like a recipe for disaster."

"It seems like you will. Watch out for the tribes they will either try to kill you to recruit you to their side."

[ooc]What's the plan?[/b]

"I know the tunnels are dangerous, but I really don't like to swim in all this armor, and I don't like to be out of all this armor around dangerous things, so I vote tunnels. Anyway the last people went that way and maybe they knew something we don't. "

Zeltiyeli suggests again, "We could run along the surface of the water -- that's got to be faster than going through the swamp and worrying about bridges."

"OK, but will it last long enough? "

He looks at the old lady "How far are we talking about?"

"We also have those water breathing scrolls from the Crow that could help in case we do fall in."

"The question is a matter of whether it is hours or days. We have resources for the former, but not the latter. "

Walking pace you are about an hour and a half out. So you could get there during low tide even if you encounter some rough terrain.

"Do you know anything of what we might encounter in the tunnels?"

"Just the Trog unless there is a frog raid. Everything around here like a big fleshy present though."

"Well if it's that close we might as well do the water route. No reason to deal with caves and trog stink unless we have to. "

Everyone in agreement?

Seems like a good idea.

"Agreed. We have the scrolls of water breathing from the Crow if we need them, too."

The team leaves in order to make their way to the Lady's Light the team bids there host farwell as sets of wading and walking through low water. The trek is hard and wet but the travel is relatively brief.

As you approach, the Lady’s Light stands atop a rocky bluff overlooking the mushfens to the north and east and the ocean to the west and south. The statue towers nearly two hundred feet in height, its upraised scepter reaching much farther into the sky than that, while the sea cliffs that drop a further 40 feet give the monument an even greater impression of looming over the sea. Carved of basalt, the towering monument has weathered the passage of the years quite well, and still depicts a beautiful woman dressed in a long, revealing gown. The monument itself stands on a massive slab of stone

[i]Sevrus will look around and see if there is a way in.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23 he does a general scan for threats, and if a way in looks present all the better.

As the group walks around the statue it seems impenetrably solid with no door to latch to be found. The area does seem safe for further exploration though.

Zeltyieli says, "I can try to look inside, maybe see if I can locate a door from the inside... but, that'll only help if there's less than a foot of stone.... and I'm not sure that's the case."

"Can't hurt to take a look. "

"If there is no entrance into the Light from above, the tunnels may be our only course of action."

Does it look as if the statue is climbable at all?

"Since we came all the way here, how about we take the time to go over the statue at ground level inch by inch. "

and he will give it a good take 20ing with perception for 29 (and no doubt someone can do better)

Zeltyieli there are rooms in there but nothing in the rooms you see indicates entrance from ground level.

Sevrus, it is climbable but it does not look easy and seems quite dangerous.

Marcus looks around carefully and finds no sign of an entrance.

Zeltyieli shakes his head, "There's definitely an... in... in there. I can see rooms... but nothing that looks like a door."

"Looks like the people who got here earlier knew something we didn't. Tunnels it is. "

"Seems like the only way of getting in."

"It's possible they went through the tunnels. Armed and armored as they were, they likely didn't find the Troglodytes or boggards to be challenging."

It seems it would require digging to get in here and if the walls are magical artifacts of any sort it could be impossible to get through by conventional means.

D - Trog Cave have a definite entrance.
E - Potential Enterance
F - Frogs also with a likely away in
G - Stone pile makeshift chapple
H - Lady of the Light (current location)

"The Troglodyte cave seems a good place to start I would think, we know that there is a definite way in and it shouldn't be too hard to deal with troglodytes.

The other cave (E) might be worth checking out but as its only a potential entrance we might be wasting time, particularly if these armoured group have already gone ahead."

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable. "

Zeltyieli shrugs, "I'm thinking they may have gone that way because they knew something we didn't. Like, maybe, how many troglodytes there are."

He shrugs again, then says, "That said, I do think taking an action is better than standing here on the outside looking in.... But then, I'm a follower of the Walker of Worlds... so I'm generally good as long as we're moving."

"Let's go visit the troglodytes, then. Don't get too close if you can help it - the stench can be quite nauseating."