Camil looks up from where he was shuffling a deck of cards, A snake lady? Fast? Oh I think we know exactly who that is... Got any good ideas on a sneaky way into the Fort? I think you've just found some friends to help retake it for you.
"Speaking of the snake lady, do we still have the item, I think a lamp, that grants wishes, and who is currently holding it?"
With that question, everyone looks at the others and then a quick search is done in which the lamp is not found. A more in depth search shows it to be in no one's gear. The lamp is gone.
Kizzy has been listening to the story, a tale of pain and loss.
She casts prestidigitation as the others talk and uses it to clean the captive and party as the story continues.
We have encountered this creature before. She has spilled our blood, and we owe her a debt in kind. The music of wind in the trees, birds and flowing water is a new song to me, so your help will be appreciated in our mutual quest. This song will will be sung with sounds of battle and the tune will end with a dying breath.
Runt is a bit fatalistic about the loss of the lamp. She shrugs and moves on.
"I guess we are the first recruits since we were sent to check on the fort anyway."
"So where too now? I am like a babe unto the rest of you until I manage to find something more than the rags with which I am clothed." Vale says and looks to you for actions.
Runt looks ot the others for opinions.
"So do we try to raise an army, or at least a fighting force larger than ourselves, or do we go take a peek at the place? Ogres are known for their stupidity and violence, so maybe we can get them to fight amongst themselves? Were there giants or trolls or ettins to deal with?"
"I think we would need more unless, well, I think I may know a secret way in. So perhaps if we could get inside the walls a smaller group may be the best way to go. However, I think we need to finish off these half-ogres here and now before we move onto Fort Rannick." Vale answers Runt.
Lets search about the place… I suspect your gear should be here about. You can borrow this until you find something more fitting. Kizzy presents Vale a cold iron rapier, hilt first for his use until they find better weapons for the woodsman. She also loans him her short bow.
He accepts the sword but waves off on taking the bow. ”No thanks, I prefer to get up and personal.
You have searched the barn and gear is not to be found other than the nasty hide armor on the ogrekin and their ogrehooks. Vale passes on both of those. By the time you have come back down, Kibb is gone. The old farmhouse with its exaggerated proportions waits. You get the feeling you are being watched.
You notice the body of the bulbous headed ogrekin is missing.
"That big guy is gone. Didn't we kill him?"
to see where it went
I thought he was a goner, but maybe something happened? Camil says looking to the others for input. He fits an arrow to his bow, looking around nervously.
"I do not know any divination magic, so Runt hopefully you can find its trail."
Clearly we need to do a better job of killing the ogres. Unless the bear drug him off for a snack… but I can’t believe even a starving bear would eat ogre….
What is the proper pairing for ogre? White wine or red? Camil asks, trying to break the tension..
Kizzy laughs at Camil’s jest, relaxing a bit, she smiles at the group. So, let’s search for the ogre, check the farmhouse, and prepare for that viscous snake lady. If we encounter her, you are getting haste from me!
Runt finds tracks. Another large humanoid, 7-8' tall to judge by the footprints, seems to have picked up the body (no drag marks) and went into the farmhouse through the porch door.
From as far back as possible, casts the arcane eye of magical discovery upon the door.
Z views the door from 60' away looking for magical auras but finds none.
Camil approaches the door, looking for any hastily constructed traps that the ogres may have laid out, handing Vale a dagger as they close on the house.
Once the door is safe, Camil waves the others up to it, stashing his bow and unwinding the bladed scarf from his neck.
Checking the tracks, Runt announces, "And then there were two."
Runt is ready for action as Camil opens the door.
The giant decaying farmhouse covered in moss slumps drunkenly at the edge of the damp forest clearing. Rickety stairs crawl up to a porch covered by a huge eave held aloft by thick pillars of pine. These timbers are decorated with crude carvings of manticores impaling children with their tail spikes and women being ripped apart by wolves. The carvings look like a child’s work, but the subject matter grows more gruesome and depraved from one depiction to the next. An unsettlingly large rocking chair of lashed wood and bone sways erratically in the breeze at the far end of the porch under a vast menagerie of wind chimes composed of decidedly humanoid bones. The house’s windows have all been boarded up with thick timbers, although it’s unclear if this was done to keep intruders out or imprison whatever unspeakable things make their home within.
A host of ants marches happily away here and there on the porch, many the size of a grown man’s thumbnail. A moth the size of a shovel-head clings to the porch ceiling, watching the party with alien eyes, but it allows them to pass unmolested. The scent of bad meat, urine, sweat, and decay wafts now and then from between the cracks in the boarded-up windows, promising worse to any who seek to go inside.
Camil finds no traps. Vale, with his rapier and dagger, stands by Camil's side ready to enter. Trying the door lever, Camil finds the door to be unlocked.
Conditions
Zherxikas 47/47
Forest 80/80
Runt 67/69; clayskin (30/35) 38 mins, see invisible 38 mins, heroism 69 mins, heightened awareness 69 mins; -1 STR atk
Kizzy 49/49
Isabella 38/48;
Camil 53/53
Vale 26/62
Runt's placement looks good.
"I wonder if these things can't smell, or if they are like flies and actually like it. Maybe we should just burn the place down?"
Camil gracefully steps away from the door, and hisses, [smaller]No burning the place down... There may be captives inside as well...
Kizzy is in position, ready action to cast haste upon a the party whenever the fight starts.
"What are the odds that stupid snake lady made her way out here the same as us? Strange. But I'm ready for her this time." If they can kill some ogres and get revenge on the flying snake, this would indeed be a good trip.
Forest throws the handle and pushes the door open. As he does so a hinged rack swings down from the bones hanging above the door. The bone spikes hit Forest in the upper back and the back of the neck piercing the leather and chain of of neck protection but as he was moving into the room not causing too much damage (6 total). The others are not so lucky as saw blades rise from between the boards and run from front to back catching everyone on the porch. When the blades go back down everyone has had their legs cut to some degree (dmg C 9, I 16, K 13, R 15, V 12, Z 13; additionally make a FOR save DC 10+dmg taken or have your movement spd reduced by 10' until dmg is healed. Runt saves vs 10pts of dmg due to her clayskin.).
Conditions
Zherxikas 34/47
Forest 74/80
Runt 57/69; clayskin (25/35) 28 mins, see invisible 28 mins, heroism 59 mins, heightened awareness 59 mins; -1 STR atk
Kizzy 36/49
Isabella 22/48;
Camil 44/53
Vale 14/62; -10' move
Isabella sighs and unleashes another healing burst.
(which is good since she doesn't have any movement to spare; then again, that was quite the healing burst so no matter)
Runt yelps and then sighs as the wave of soothing energy washes over her and she not only heals the damage from the trap but the lingering damage she previously had.
Runt scrambles to get inside the house before the blades come back. Though after she moves she wonders if that was such a bright idea as she braces for another attack.
The powerful wave of positive energy closes the most recent wounds and makes everyone walk more lightly. Inside, Forest and Runt see A mangy dire bearskin rug lying before a tremendous hearth set into the wall, its pained visage still snarling at whatever cruel hunter took its life. A huge couch haphazardly upholstered in animal hide and human skin, replete with a collection of talons, monstrous hairy spider’s legs, fox heads, and human hands and feet, sits to the west.
Conditions
Zherxikas 47/47
Forest 80/80
Runt 69/69; clayskin (25/35) 28 mins, see invisible 28 mins, heroism 59 mins, heightened awareness 59 mins; -1 STR atk
Kizzy 49/49
Isabella 39/48;
Camil 53/53; 4 False Life
Vale 31/62
ooof, sorry I still can’t see through doors. Camil quips poking his head into the gross room. He begins rummaging through his potions to find just the right one for the job.
"Well, that is one way to cut to the chase" he sighs. "Guess they don't want visitors?"
Kizzy sways on her feet as she is torn up by the blades, then healed by Isabella.
Thank you, that was needed. she says softly to Isabella as she scans the room, weary of what will come next.
Does the team explore the room or take the one door that exits?
"We should probably move on. Messing with stuff might spring another trap."
Runt proceeds to look for traps including on the door.
Runt spots a trap door in front of the couch.
Runt was not seriously looking very hard, but when her foot catches on a lip in the floor she halts suddenly and points at the floor.
"I may be getting paranoid, but this could be trapped. Heck, every door in tis place could be trapped. You know, I could summon a Dretch and have it do the dirty work for us. I know some of you don't like the nasty things, but then again sending one in to spring traps might suit your fancy."
I suppose they are called "trap doors" for a reason... Kizzy moves beside Runt and looks down at the floor. It is feeding time for your pets...
The room stinks, flies buzz around your head, it's hot, you're sweaty, and you get the feeling something is watching or waiting for you. Through the door or out of the house?
"So, summon the Dretch and send it down while we stay at a safe distance?"
Summon a creature of evil, to aid us and do some good. The irony is delicious and worthy of a production!
With that encouragement Runt summons a few Dretch and shows them the trap door. Taking everyone outside she then speaks to one of them in Abyssal commanding it to open the trap door and descend, then return and report what it saw.
The dretch nearest the trap door indicated tries to find a handle. Having no luck with that it steps on the trap door. The door, to include the couch, pivots rapidly causing the dretch to fall and slide into the yawning darkness. Once the creature’s weight is off the trap door, it springs shut appearing to be part of the floor again.
Runt is contacted telepathically. ’I have fallen into a spiked pit. There is nothing else here. I am injured. Help me.’ The other dretch who apparently also hear the message, look at Runt.
"Well, it was a trap. Seems my Dretch buddy landed on some spikes. Probably not hurt much though as they have very thick hides. Let's get him out and have another one try the door."
Runt enters the room and instructs the other Dretch to help their fellow get out. He tosses one a rope. Once that is done, she retrieves the rope and tells Dretch #2 to open the door. Once again she waits in a safe location if there is any such thing.