Delving into the cornfields becomes a distressing series of grisly discoveries. More Chelish corpses are found the further into the fields you go. Each appears to have been cut down by blades and left to lay and rot. More orc corpses are found piled in the northwestern corner, ragged tears at their flesh suggesting they died by the bony claws of the skeletal champions. Mixed among the corpses are more chain-shirted skeletons with bloody fingers.
Kyra is almost more distraught by the complete lack of auras besides the sickly sweet smell of death and decay.
Knowledge Religion DC20:
The skeletal undead appear to have been created by some unknown magical energy. The lack of lingering auras means that it happened many days ago, matching the time of death of the bodies. The scale of undead raised suggests a large cabal of lowly necromancers or a single, powerful one.
You normally can take 10 outside of combat or any other stressful situation.
Seeing that Kyra looks perplexed, Jorgen examines this from scene, scanning for magical auras.
Take 10:In Religion:10 + 11 = 21
"This definitely looks like necromancy, but the lack of an aura means it took place at least a few days ago. I bet there's going to be more undead around here too and these two were just a couple of stragglers."
Advancing down the road, the Pathfinders find the other standing buildings to be homes and workshops. Each is marked by the same wanton destruction found in the inn and barracks before. There is little else to find amid the wreckage, although the windows facing the craters to the east appear to have blown in. Whether by blade or blast, it is difficult to say.
Male Half-Elf LG Urban Ranger 6/Zen Archer 4 | HP:83/84 AC:25 T:24 FF:18 | CMB:11 CMD:30 | F:+13 R:+17 W:+10 (+2 vs enchantments) | Init:+8 | Per: +25
Ingrge nods to Jorgen. ”Aye...but let’s make a short detour on the way...we can check out the crater area and the buildings which had windows blown in first, if no one objects. That appears odd and I’d rather not leave a potential danger at our backs...”
Before setting out, Ingrge will retrieve his wand and tap himself a couple of times...
If agreed, Ingrge will keep his bow ready and scout ahead to the east near the craters, keeping an eye on them as well as checking the windows to try to find the source of the blast...
Vailis goes silent for a while observing the carnage and clear destruction "For most some of you would hope, this does not seem like the kind of stuff Cheliax would do. If anything our governors and devils know the value of people and a well stocked fort. There must be something else, something really wrong that happened here"
Both the half-elf and Coco follow up a few meters behind Ingrge.
Male Half-Elf LG Urban Ranger 6/Zen Archer 4 | HP:83/84 AC:25 T:24 FF:18 | CMB:11 CMD:30 | F:+13 R:+17 W:+10 (+2 vs enchantments) | Init:+8 | Per: +25
Seeing the trap, Ingrge will throw up a hand to signal his companions to stop.
He'll quietly approach the gate, keeping alert for any foes who may be watching or guarding the gate...
The trigger is laughably easy to disarm, clearing the way into the motte proper. All around the inner yard are scattered more Chelish corpses, their arms and armor broken and rended where they fell. A large, three-story timber tower rises from the center of the motte and ends at a pointed roof above, ringed by wooden crenelations.
A gaping hole in the motte appears to have collapsed the outside wall of the southeast corner of the tower exposing several rooms across all three floors. The steep front stairs that lead up to the timber tower’s door are covered in blood stains and the front door of the tower has been smashed in from the outside. A thin tendril of smokes wisps its way skyward from the tower’s chimney.
Female Aasimar Gunslinger 5/inquisitor 5 | AC: 23/15/17 (resist a/c/e 5) | HP: 79/79 | Fort +12*, Ref +13* (+4 vs ally spells), Will +11* (*+2 vs evil descriptor) | CMB +7, CMD 23 | Init +14 | Perc +16 (darkvision) | Ammo: 31+29 | Bane: 10/10 | Full attack w/in 30 ft: +12/+12/+7 touch (1d12+15/x4 <1 or 1-2>)
"I'll say this for Cheliax-- they probably aren't responsible here." She points to the rising smoke. "D'you think that's a tended fire, or some arson still smoldering?"
Male Half-Elf LG Urban Ranger 6/Zen Archer 4 | HP:83/84 AC:25 T:24 FF:18 | CMB:11 CMD:30 | F:+13 R:+17 W:+10 (+2 vs enchantments) | Init:+8 | Per: +25
After disarming the rigged gate, Ingrge draws his bow, whispering to Adeah, "To the tower then, I suppose," and he moves cautiously ahead, in his usual fashion...
The steep stairway up to the entrance rises 6 feet above the ground of the hilltop. The tower appears to be mainly composed of massive tree trunk logs sandwiched with tar. The doors hang open, showing a ruined entryway with a fallen portcullis on the floor between walls set with arrow slits to either side. Part of the eastern wall is collapsed into the massive crater, with rubble scattered across the blood-stained floor.
Seeing the bodies inside the keep, Jorgen comments "Well, if it was the Cheliax who did this, it looks like they got as good as they gave."
Jorgen gazes up at the fire coming from the chimney. "That's unsettling. It looks like the smoke from a chimney to me. But what kind of sick bastard is up there cozying in front of a fireplace amidst all this gore and ruin? Could be our necromancer up there."
Creeping forward, nothing moves in the tower halls. If there was a lock on the double doors at the middle of the intersection, it had been picked long ago with a sharp kick.
Vailis approaches and while he inspects the northern door and the area with detect magic he orders "Coco, open the door for our friends"
The monster looks at the half-elf and frowns but wades through and opens the middle doors obeying to his majordomo duties.
Perception (Coco):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Coco opens the door to what appears to be the main hall of the timber tower. It contains a large table made of an enormous tree cut in half lengthwise and laid down on the floor. The table is framed by two long wooden benches along the side and two stylish wooden chairs at each end. A fireplace stands against the north wall and two sets of stairs frame the fireplace, rising up to the second floor. There are a dozen or so corpses here, most of which are seated at the table, and all of which are missing their heads. Atop the fireplace is draped a large flag of Cheliax.
"Some people lose their head for the food" comments Coco witnessing the scene. The monster inspects the corpses and takes the flag of Cheliax from the fireplace, then kneeling to see if the scolds in there are recent.
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Meanwhile Vailis opens his door to the north to see what's there.
Jorgen quips back at Vailis, "Well, I've heard the Chelish say that they sit heads and shoulders above all other nations." Jorgen takes a close look at the flag above the mantle, lifting it casually to peak behind it.
Female Aasimar Gunslinger 5/inquisitor 5 | AC: 23/15/17 (resist a/c/e 5) | HP: 79/79 | Fort +12*, Ref +13* (+4 vs ally spells), Will +11* (*+2 vs evil descriptor) | CMB +7, CMD 23 | Init +14 | Perc +16 (darkvision) | Ammo: 31+29 | Bane: 10/10 | Full attack w/in 30 ft: +12/+12/+7 touch (1d12+15/x4 <1 or 1-2>)
Adeah pokes one of the headless corpses with the barrel of her musket. "Whatever they were having... I don't want any." Then she moves to the fireplace to look for anything unusual about it. (Specifically, is it magical fire, or was it tended recently?)
female human cleric 7, HP 59/59, AC 21, T 11, FF 19, F +7, R +4, W +10, Init+0 Perc. +4
I'm really thinking these savages have a thing for beheading people...the brutality is shocking. Kyra says blessing the bodies as she moves through the room.We could send a whole abbey here to deal with the bodies...and cleanse the place...
Most of the party notices almost immediately that one of the corpses seated at the table still has its head. Only Coco is surprised when it leaps to life, while Vailis is oblivious to the happenings in the main hall.
CLINK! The first explosion reverberates through the room, but the second misfires. "Damn," Adeah swears under her breath as she lowers the weapon to clear out the wasted cartridge.
Since that was a full attack I'll have to wait til next round to fix it.
Female Aasimar Gunslinger 5/inquisitor 5 | AC: 23/15/17 (resist a/c/e 5) | HP: 79/79 | Fort +12*, Ref +13* (+4 vs ally spells), Will +11* (*+2 vs evil descriptor) | CMB +7, CMD 23 | Init +14 | Perc +16 (darkvision) | Ammo: 31+29 | Bane: 10/10 | Full attack w/in 30 ft: +12/+12/+7 touch (1d12+15/x4 <1 or 1-2>)
Oh good, that'll save me a cartridge and a grit point!
Perception:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Adeah loads her weapon with a bullet and powder. Her ears prick at the sound of footsteps above them. "We got company up above. Not that I'm helping matters," she adds with an apologetic smile.
Vailis is up to answer Jorgen when he hears a commotion in the room. Too slow to react, when he takes initiative everything has finished. The half-elf answers the quip with a laugh "Well, I do not know for Chelish ones, but you really blow out the heads of these ones"
Perception:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13 Perception (Coco):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Also noticing the noise upstairs, Coco points to the ceiling and nods to Adeah. Vailis directs the monster and they both start to climb up the northern stairs.
Vailis readies his crossbow and peeks to who is in the next floor.
Creeping up the stairs, Vailis and Coco see that the landing contains only a tattered rug, with doors to either side granted egress. Another flight continues up to another floor, although the shuffling sounds appear to come from the first door to the east.
Male Half-Elf LG Urban Ranger 6/Zen Archer 4 | HP:83/84 AC:25 T:24 FF:18 | CMB:11 CMD:30 | F:+13 R:+17 W:+10 (+2 vs enchantments) | Init:+8 | Per: +25
Ingrge, with bow ready, will follow Vailis and Coco up the stairs...and warily approach and check out that eastern ddor where the shuffling sounds appear to be coming from...
The dust on the floors shows that nothing has disturbed the stairwell in some time. The sounds of movement beyond the door continues, apparently oblivious or uncaring to the approach of the party.
