"Be gone, monster!"
Concerned that the archer continues to assail the group without being seen, Oryn takes out a torch and lights it from the campfire. Once lit, he moves to the north in an attempt to locate the hidden foe.
"Mathine seems to have a handle on the deer, I'm going to look for this archer."
"Wait up Oryn, I'll go with you!" said Kali as she took a burning stick from the fire and then followed Oryn.
”Fookin’ archer is also a necromancer? Bah. Can’t even eat the venison. Such a waste.”
Bolkvar nails the deer with several chunks of rock while his friends begin a search for the archer.
Round 5
The archer must not appreciate Oryn coming with a torch, as the next arrow flies at him, missing wildly.
Meanwhile, Mathine lines a solid hit against the undead deer, her sword pulsing as it tends flesh, and the deer is dead once more.
Everybody else is up. Only an archer left to find. Perception DC is 18. Bolkvar can try it as soon as he moves a bit closer, while the rest of you will need to get a light source close enough.
Oryn continues his efforts to find the archer moving further north.
"C'mon Kali, we can find this guy and when we do he is going to regret ever messing with us."
"I know he is out there somewhere, but I can't seem to find him."
Kali looks hard into the gloom, trying to spot their prey.
With the deer dispatched, Mathine reaches for her pack, pulling out one of the torches lashed to its outside and setting its end alight in the campfire.
Kali spots the archer up in a tree about 70 feet north northwest from your campfire.
It still takes a DC 16 Perception check for everybody to see him, until he shoots and fives away his position to everybody close enough.
”Bloody coward! Show yerself and die!” Bolkvar yelled, unhelpfully.
"He's right there." points Kali, who suddenly realizes that she doesn't have the fox with her. SHe frowns, but doesn't take her eyes off the little archer.
The archer, annoyed that Kali has found him, sends his next arrow her way.
But he continues his role as world’s worst sniper. And since his Stealth isn’t nearly good enough, you are all now able to spot him.
You can all get within 30 feet and attack, though he is 10 feet up in a tree.Take him out!
"Ah, there he is. Nice job spotting him Kali. Time to finish him off."
Kali and Oryn combine frost and wind to chill then knock the hobgoblin from his perch. He lies still on the ground below.
Searching his body, you find a short bow and a quiver with 41 arrows remaining, studded leather armour, a couple daggers, a couple bear traps, similar to the one that held the fox, 3 rations, and a pouch with 39 gp, 78 sp, and a thick gold ring engraved with ivy leaves.
The kobold zombies have nothing of value, though one of them has an actual live rat living inside its hollowed-out skull. The deer zombie similarly has nothing of value.
Kali gives the Hobgoblin's body a kick when she sees the traps and says "That's for fox."
Fox, meanwhile, is still lying by the fire in its wrappings.
"Let's pack up this stuff so we can get back to sleep."
After things are handled, Oryn removes his armor and extinguishes the torch. Laying it and his spear beside him, Oryn returns to sleep.
"Good night, again. See you all in the morning,"
”The necromancer had some gold on him! Ha! Good eyes, lass. And a good prize for a good day’s work.” Bolkvar said with satisfaction.
"I'm pretty sure he's not a necromancer."
The rest of the night passes without incident.
The next morning dawns with a thin, cold drizzle. The thick canopy catches much of it, leaving only the occasional splash of chilly water to drop down the backs of your coats. As you continue towards the cliffs along the edge of the valley, the terrain becomes rockier and more uneven.
Less than a mile from where you estimate the monastery ruins to be, you break out of the forest to find yourself on the banks of a picturesque forest brook, swollen with snowmelt. Mathine is initially distracted with something, but the rest of you spot two wolves looking through the trees on the opposite bank at the same time that they notice you. The wolves’ hackles go up and they adopt an aggressive stance.
(+2 to notice unusual stonework)
Round 1
Bolkvar and Kali are up. Sorry I don’t have a map ready yet but I’ll try to have one tomorrow. The wolves are 50 feet away, and there is a shallow, fast-moving brook between you and them. Crossing the brook requires an Acrobatics check DC 12, same mechanic as crossing a grease spell. The wolves currently have partial cover (+2 to AC) from tree trunks, though they would lose that if they come for you across the stream.
Kali will ready any action to blast the first wolf that came charging at them .
Bolkvar could feel his excitement rising as they came nearer and nearer to his ancestral land. Having wolves stand before him was an annoyance. But they were but beasts, and surely a show of force would send them running. He caused the ground beneath the closest to shoot upwards with shards of jagged stone. Enough to hurt, but not kill.
The reddish wolf yelps as stone assails its paws, but it bares its teeth and advances alongside the other. With a bit of a run, the wolves leap in tandem...
...and both slip on their takeoffs, landing splash in the middle of the creek. Kali’s frost beam slams into the wave of water, sending a small chunk of ice spinning away downstream, while Rao’s fire blast sends a wisp if steam into the air.
The reddish wolf slips again on the slick rocks and sprawls on its belly. His friend nimbly makes its way across the brook, around the boulder, and right up to bite at Bolkvar, who nimbly steps out of the way.
Everybody is up. Red wolf is prone in the stream, so gains an AC bonus vs ranged attacks.
Kali gestures again, and another wave of cold streaks towards the Red Wolf.
Kali’s frost beam solidifies the Red wolf’s wet fur, shocking it into unconsciousness. The half-frozen wolf, no longer able to hold its head above the water, begins to slowly tumble downstream in the current.
Only purple wolf to go.
"Never seen wolves this aggressive before. They usually run at any sign of force - especially with only a pair. Be wary, there may be more hidden among the trees."
Oryn sends a blast of air towards the wolf that crossed the stream.
”What is with these wolves? This isn’t normal!” Bolkvar exclaimed, too shocked to make any meaningful attack. He did, however, look to the trees for any more wolves lying in wait.
Oryn’s air blast brings a yelp from the wolf.
Rao and Mathine left.
The wolf suffers scorches to go with the bruises of the wind blast. It’s looking very hurt.
Mathine is left to go.
Mathine wheels around to attack the wolf near her, her blade almost threatening to get away from her in the surprise of it all. Ugh, woods - no thank you. Give me a nice town any day.
Mathine’s sword whistles through the air as the wolf unexpectedly turns to make its escape across the river (Mathine can take an AoO if she likes).
Again, the wolf fails to clear the brook, landing splash in the water, and although it doesn’t fall, it fails to move any further.
Anybody who wants to can take a pot shot at the wolf or let it go.
”Finally! Let the beastie go. If it doesn’t bother me then I won’t harm it. Must of been real hungry to fight so hard.”
You allow the wolf to escape and continue on your way (which seems to be the direction the wolf fled to). Another hour of travel and you arrive at your destination.
Sitting squat at the foot of an imposing mountain, a ruined monastery comes into view between ancient gnarled trees. Made of simple stone blocks, worn smooth with the passage of time, the stout building is falling apart. Sections of the slanted shale roof have collapsed and portions of the outer wall have crumbled. Weeds and wild thorn plants run rampant across the field leading up to the place, leaving only the slightest indication of a path that ends at the ruined front doors. Beyond, an overgrown yard sits in shadow.
The trees have thinned quite a bit this close to the mountain, so you have about 200 feet of open, weed-choked field to cross.
(+2 to notice unusual stonework)
Kali continues to walk while tending to the fox.
As did Bolkvar, who kept an eye out for any hungry wolves who might be nearby.
Oryn follows Kali and Bolkvar hoping that they aren't walking into an ambush.
"Looks like we found the monastery. I wonder why it was abandoned. Whatever the reason, I hope that we don't have to worry about it. In any case, let's see if we can find the mushrooms and get back to Miss Laurel."
The path itself fades about 50 feet from the ruined monastery doors. Standing guard outside the doors are a pair of statues...at least, one us a Stuart while the other us a pile of rubble. The surviving statue is of sone sort of dwarf, but vines and creepers obscure much of the carving.
"Here is what they look like, and this is where you will likely find them growing." Kali said, while continuing to baby the fox. "If you think that you've found them, give me a shout and I'll come confirm it."