After the successful meeting with the local authorities, you are able to get the circus moving in the direction of the overgrown plot that will become the temporary home of your fantastic show. It will take some elbow grease, but with everyone pitching in you should be able to clear out the brambles, wayward trees, and dense undergrowth in time to set up the big top and get in some promotion for the circus.
As long as you can keep eveyone safe, of course.
The dirt road from Escadar ends abruptly at the bramble‑choked mouth of a forested valley. Granite hills rise to the east and south, providing a sheltered area where the trees have grown thick and wild. Two rough trails lead into the forest, one blocked by an enormous fallen oak, rotted and sprouting with mushrooms.
"Say Orm, why are you interested in Moonstone Hall?"
Also, a check to see if I know anything additional from my time in the city:
Humperdinck remembers that constables guard the “sewer entrance” near a
crumbling mermaid fountain in the city’s dangerous Woodworkers District. This doesn’t seem particularly unusual, as criminals and black‑marketeers have a reputation for using the city’s vast sewer network in this dodgy part of the city.
“We recently came across some xulgaths who were trying to destroy an aeon stone; we found information in the notes of a succubus working with them that they were in cahoots with a bigger bad working out of the ruins of Moonstone Hall. We aim to check it out, but first we need to get the circus set up and ready to perform.”
At Junebug’s invitation, Orm leads the way through the field to fallen oak, alert to possible dangers.
A heavy, fallen log blocks the westernmost path into the forest. Climbing over the log is easy, but it disturbs a great mass of centipedes that have been living under the log.
Two centipede swarms...definitely against health code for a circus site.
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Orm
Red
Derrick
--Adora
Blue
Humperdinck
Junebug
Orm enters Mountain Stance, and then raises his hand in a fist, concentrating on his ring, Primordial Sea, hurling a ball of water at the red swarm.
and 4 splash damage.
The torrential surge of water scatters the red swarm!
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Orm
Red
Derrick
--Adora
Blue
Humperdinck
Junebug
The swarm moves out of its log and bites at Orm.
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Orm
Red
Derrick
--Adora
Blue
Humperdinck
Junebug
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Orm (2 Reflex saves)
Derrick
--Adora
Waves of negative energy wash through the bugs, killing a good number of them.
GROUP BUFFS: Inspire Courage +1/+1
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Orm
Red
Derrick
--Adora
Blue (-9, 1 p. bleed)
Humperdinck
Junebug
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Orm (2 Reflex saves)
Derrick
--Adora
Orm will focus his ki in his limbs and lash out all around him.
Humperdink moves to heal Orm
Some well-placed punches from Orm and critical shots from Derrikk finish off the second swarm.
With those bugs out of the way, you are able to continue down the trail.
At the end of the path, you can see that the stream flowing into the valley empties into a small swamp on the valley’s south side. Harboring slick muck and thick reeds, the swamp is greater difficult terrain for Medium creatures. Smaller creatures must Swim to cross the swamp (DC 10 Athletics).
Three islands of earth rise above the swamp water. It appears that, some years ago, someone connected these islands with felled trees to act as makeshift bridges, and these logs remain the easiest way to access the islands.
Trees screen the island closest to you, and you can see that there are some kind of ruins on the island closer to the center of the swamp.
Once on the island, we'd check out those ruins.
Splashing over to the island with the ruins, you see the stone foundation of a small building that once stood here. The foundation is now overgrown with weeds and almost entirely obscured.
Near the log leading west from this island sprawls a mostly intact halfling skeleton. The skeleton still clutches a leather satchel and, while its armor is in tatters, a cat-shaped amulet is pinned to the collar.
There is also an unmarked potion vial and 14 gp in the bag.
Before opening the satchel or approaching, I'd like to detect magic.
There's nothing of interest in the ruins other than the satchel and the dead body.
I open the satchel. Is the vial the item radiating Divination, or something else?
I open the satchel. Is the vial the item radiating Divination, or something else?
Technically you can't tell, but yes. You can use Identify Magic on it. (Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion check to see what it is.)[/ooc]
It is an invisibility potion!
"Hrrm. Investigate the island there to the west and then head southeast to the keep on this map?"
If we head west, Orm would carefully check what looks to be a possible tree bridge before trusting it to his weight. Do you want to do a secret perception check for everyone, or should we roll?
The bridge to the west looks reasonably sturdy.
Once everyone is ready we'll head west over the the tree bridge, assuming I get a second on the action.
I'm ready. We're obviously picking up the potion.
Orm will lead the way across the tree bridge to the western island.
This small island in the oldest part of the swamp is ringed by large trees whose roots grow together to form a nearly impassable barrier. The only opening in this ring of trees is the enormous fallen log you have crossed to get here.
A light like a campfire is glowing from among the twisted roots on the island. A voice calls out from the direction of the fire, "Hello, fellow travelers! Come warm yourself and take a rest. What brings you to this swamp?"
There is something very fishy about that voice. It sounds more like someone pretending to be human than a real traveler.
Also, Derrikk spots that the ground on the island is very squishy. It looks more like quicksand than solid ground.
I don't have anything.
"A retreat seems the best course of action. Let us head to the the keep we saw on the map."
Figuring discretion is the better part of valor, the group elects to return when better prepared for the will-o'-wisps.
Orm helps everyone through the deepest part of the bog, and you head toward the keep you spotted earlier.
As you are about to step onto the large log leading from the southeastern island back to the shore of the swamp, Derrikk notices that the log looks much more fragile than the other log bridges--it is liable to collapse if too much weight is on it!
Humperdinck also notices something concerning--two translucent gray oozes are lurking under the log. As you approach, they slither to the surface of the water and move to attack!
Both oozes slowly slither onto the island, one attacking Orm and one attacking Thelonious.
for and
for and
Orm's wound sizzles! Ouch.
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Blue
Red
Humperdinck
Derrikk
Thelonius
Orm (-10)
Battlefield Conditions: The water is greater difficult terrain for Medium creatures. Smaller creatures must Swim to cross the swamp (DC 10 Athletics).