It's a boring peaceful night for a change. Khoran uses his open 3ed level slot to cast Create Food and Water (to save on rations), and makes sure that all wounds are treated
In the morning, Khoran prepares his spells:
Spirits: Life, Nature
Hexes: Silkstring Snare, Slumber
L0 (DC 14, 4) : Guidance, Detect Magic, Create Water, Stabilize
L1 (DC 15, 5) : Murderous Command, Tears to Wine, Bless, Nature's Path, {open Slot}
L2 (DC 16,4) : False Life , Burst of Radiance, Burst of Radiance, {open Slot}
L3 (DC 17, 3) : Sylvan Hideaway, Stinking Cloud, {Open Slot}
L4 (DC 18, 2) : Ball Lightning, {Open Slot}
Before setting out on the road, he casts an extended False Life.
Khoran shades his eyes and peers at the scene ahead while observing "Those bodies yah think? Maybe our missing caravan?
7 rank +3 trained +4wis+1 trait+2 racial +2 alertness
Grimm casts mage armor on Tristan and himself prior to approaching the site.
Looking closely at the at the scene, the party finds two corpses lying on the ground. Both are but a few days dead with the blood on their clothing and armor mostly dry and a light layer of the white ash stuck to the tacky ooze. They are a chainmail-clad dwarf and a leather-clad human.
1:40 PM on Ardsdag, the tenth of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
Looks like more victims of the Desolation. Not smart to travel in such a small group. Let me see if there's any magic on them
casts Detect Magic
Getting close enough to cast detect magic Tristan detects nothing with a magical aura on or near the bodies.
any of you sharp-eyed guys see any traps?
Auleth, his scimitar drawn, looks around for anything suspicious, or signs of what killed them. It's a shame we're too late to save these people...unless this is more than it seems.
"Well, this ain't the caravan obviously". Khoran will get closer (longspear length) to take a look at the bodies and examine their wounds.
and a +2 Healing satchel (MW tool, not sure if it applies here)
7 rank +3 trained +4 wis
Assuming he spots nothing dangerous, he will search the bodies...
Both bodies obviously died in battle from the wounds they bear, however the wounds on their bodies match the weapons they hold in their own hands. The human bears many thin stab wounds and still clutches a bloody rapier. The dwarf has vicious, deep cuts and gouges and still clutches the broken haft of a battleaxe with the blade of the axe sunk deep into the calf of his right leg, seemingly self-inflicted. There are three sets of tracks from these two and one other medium humanoid coming from the southwest; a single set of light tracks was left by a medium humanoid leading off to the northeast.
A quick search of the bodies reveals nothing remaining of particular value.
Well...Either those tracks are from a survivor of an attack that killed these poor guys OR it's something responsible for killing them. Either way I think we should check it out. Sound OK?
Khoran replies cagily: "It looks like they killed themselves... Maybe some sort of possession thing? We've had some experiences with possessing things in the wastes. Give me 15 minutes to prepare something before we start chasing after it"
Auleth, still suspicious, casts Detect Evil and scans the area, first focusing on the bodies themselves and then walking in a circle around them focused outward.
Auleth doesn't detect any particular evil auras in his scan, and the group has the 15 minutes needed for Khoran to prepare his spells without incident.
1:55 PM on Ardsdag, the tenth of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
"This damned place is making us paranoid. Seems to be for good reason. "
Bannog flies around the corpses, then his large eyes trail after the retreating tracks. "Time to follow now?"
Standing up from where he was sitting cross-legged, Khoran says "I'm ready now." With that, Khoran starts following the tracks northeast...
Auleth continues extending his senses as the party walks, looking with his eyes at the trail, and with more than his eyes for traces of evil that might warn of an ambush or hidden location. He's switched his scimitar for his bow, and periodically looks up and west at the mountains, somewhere within which is the city of the Lord of Undeath.
Now prepared the group sets out, following the tracks. The shifting dust of the Ashen Wastes threatens to cover the trail, and after about an hour you need to work harder to keep track of where they're going.
Someone can roll a Survival Check to follow tracks (one person can aid another if you like.)
3:05 PM on Ardsdag, the tenth of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
Though the trial seems like it might be lost at several points, Groff is able to find enough traces to continue to follow it throughout the rest of the day. It continues to lead to the northeast and you encounter nothing else during the trip until you get close to evening. As the sun gets low you'll need to decide whether to camp for the night, letting the dust have a chance to cover the tracks you're following, or push on through the darkness.
5:55 PM on Ardsdag, the tenth of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
Dare we use magical light to proceed further, or would that make us a beacon for evil?
"I say camp for the night. I am not enthusiastic enough about chasing this down that I want to wander the desolation at night."
"Bad things happen at night, I say camp. "
"Yes, camp" Bannog agrees heartily, bobbing his head in a flapping nod.
I've no desire to chase whoever this is after dark. If we lose track of him....Oh well, no big loss.
After the group sets up camp for the night Tristan will do his nightly devotions as soon as the stars come out and will then retreat to the safety of the the Hideaway
Deciding that discretion is the better part of the valor you eat another cold dinner and spend the night in the sylvan hideaway uneventfully. The next morning when you emerge you see that the weather conditions haven't changed noticeably; it's still fairly clear and no more windy than normal, though the dust is still shifted around degrading the trail you've been following in expected ways. You make your preparations and see if the winds of the night have blown away evidence of the tracks.
Someone can roll a Survival Check to follow tracks (one person can aid another if you like.)
8:00 AM on Djinsdag, the eleventh of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
It's another peaceful night!
In the morning, Khoran prepares his spells:
Spirits: Life, Nature
Hexes: Silkstring Snare, Slumber
L0 (DC 14, 4) : Guidance, Detect Magic, Create Water, Stabilize
L1 (DC 15, 5) : Murderous Command, Tears to Wine, Bless, Nature's Path, {open Slot}
L2 (DC 16,4) : False Life , Burst of Radiance, Burst of Radiance, {open Slot}
L3 (DC 17, 3) : Sylvan Hideaway, {open slot}, Protection from Evil 10' radius
L4 (DC 18, 2) : Ball Lightning, Anti-Incorporeal Shell
Before setting out on the road, he casts an extended False Life.
Khoran will throw guidance cantrips at those doing the survival checks...
Auleth will aid in the survival check, assuming there are others better than he.
At the start of each day Tristan casts Lucky Number on everyone remember your own Number and use at your discretion, Tristan only has five of these spells and one person will not have it cast one them, to be determined randomly each day
Shall we keep following the tracks? If whoever this is continued through the night we're way far behind
That seems as well an idea as any. If they're going someplace, we'll reach it eventually, and if they've had any other encounters we'll find the evidence thereof. He turns to Bannog. How high can you fly? Perhaps the view will be better from higher up.
Bannog goes through his normal morning ritual, studying his "spellbook" very seriously, and gathering up energy to power his elemental defense.
When Auleth asks his question, Bannog grins, happy to be of help. "Can fly very high! Not to space, maybe, but very high. Me very good at getting high!"
Without much more discussion, Bannog zips off into the sky, straight up, looking all around as he does.
The visibility in the Ashen Wastes isn't as bad as it was two days ago, but by the time Bannog gets to 120 feet in the air he can't see the party on the ground through the dust that fills the air. There's nothing in the immediate vicinity that seems to be interesting within the short range he can make out.
Groff takes a look for signs of the tracks that you were following the previous day.
They're faint, but the dwarf does find enough signs of the trail to be able to continue to follow it should the group want to.
8:00 AM on Djinsdag, the eleventh of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
"If we came this far, might as well keep following. "
fair enough.. Lead the way
"Yeah, let's chase this one down... Hope he doesn't lead us back to Helgash's bane though."
As the party goes, Auleth will continually scan the area with Detect Evil. He's got his bow out, and will want to be close-ish to the front though planning to fall back if foes are sighted.
Bannog comes soaring back to the ground, a dejected look on his face. "No good, not be finding anything. We be going back now?" He is then genuinely surprised to see someone else have success where he himself had not, but is happy enough to follow along. "OK then, forward!" he says happily.
Grimm sighs as he surveys the forbidding landscape. He then nods stoically and reluctantly follows the group. "Yes, onward to our doom."
"Realistic expectations are good. " Groff nods at Grimm.
Setting out once again the party continues to follow the tracks. They head north for a while before turning back to the east and a bit before noon through the continuous chalky haze of the Ashen Wastes emerges a strangely out-of-place sight, verdant plant life, trees, and lush foliage — a seeming mirage in the wasteland. However, the vision doesn’t waver as you approach proving it to be no mirage. Whitish dust steals the luster from the fringes of this green zone, but beyond the edges you see the vivid greens of leaves and vibrant colors of flowers and plants undiminished by the dust. Squawks of birds and the occasional animal call rises from this virtual paradise.
11:25 AM on Djinsdag, the eleventh of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
Well this looks NICE! Especially when contrasted with the rest of the Desolation. Which has gotta mean this area is crazy dangerous. Ready to go in and fight for our lives?
Khoran will survey the oasis closely,
7 rank +3 trained +4wis+1 trait+2 racial +2 alertness
while he does, he replies to Tristan:
"Maybe, but let's not be too trigger happy, remember what Skeribar's Rangers said:"
...
"We have established safe havens in the Ashen Waste. If you see a grove of healthy trees growing in the wastelands, it is a sign that our sanctuary is near and can provide respite."
...
"This could be one of their sanctuaries, so be cautious, but let's not start killing everything that moves just yet."
Auleth is excited to see life in the waste, but keeps his Detect Evil up as the party approaches. If it's safe, I think we have found a useful staging area. He looks further into the grove, seeking out any signs of intelligent movement. Seems too good to be true--I wonder how they created this place.
It would be nice to believe the rangers are kind and benevolent...But they are based in a town run by the Usurer. I'm still regarding them as suspect until proven otherwise. That pretty much goes for anyone based in the Camp.
It would be nice to believe the rangers are kind and benevolent...But they are based in a town run by the Usurer. I'm still regarding them as suspect until proven otherwise. That pretty much goes for anyone based in the Camp.
"That's true Tristan, but it's also no reason to start a war with them... So let's go easy, as the hedgehog said to his wife."
As you peer into the verdant growth you see a variety of small animals that seem to scurry away from you if they notice you at all, but nothing that seems like a threat and Auleth detects no evil where he directs his scans. The tree grow up to 80 feet tall and, though their foliage is enough to dim the sun shining down, don't seem to have done anything to hamper the undergrowth in the area. The soil is a rich loam, completely at odds with the dusty wastes that you've been traveling through.
The tracks that you followed up to here lead directly east into the stand of trees.
11:25 AM on Djinsdag, the eleventh of Eostre, 3517 I.R.
Auleth points out the tracks. Seems we might be company for whoever we're following. I'd like to circle around and see if there are tracks leaving here too, and if we do go in we should be prepared for anything.