Bez steps back, watching the plant. "Yes, yes it could. Perhaps not the best map, but it could be that."
He chuckles. "We already do that. Watch banks, watch jewelers. Such juicy marks come and go from those places, and all one needs to do is sip tea and take note of them from a nearby cafe."
"You just sip tea and that's it? That doesn't sound so bad." I wonder how easy my life could have been. She at the corrupted woods around them, surveying the route they should take back, around the badger. But I learned Magic. "Though I suppose I'd still rather be the juicy mark."
The hand kind of comes apart and so does the glove. The whole things is fairly putrid. There is indeed a ring inside the glove. A simple band of silver with an iron strip braided around it protectively.
The tube contains a few pages from a diary. It looks like someone had ripped out the important part and kept it here. However, much of it is now illegible.
There is a portion you can make out.
“Benrun says it is a curse, not a disease, and whoever placed the curse must live nearby. He says the curse is on the land and everything on it, not just people. I am not sure, but I expect he should know. We were attacked this morning by creatures the likes of which I have never seen. Frenish says they seemed almost demon-like. Whether or not she is right, the beasts had claws as sharp as steel. They ripped right through . . . .”
You also recover a pouch with 3 pp, 32 gp, 123 sp, and 91 cp.
Melira looks at the letters in the tube for some time. Don't let him see how hard this is, or he won't trust your research anymore. Thankfully, there is also a full coin pouch to pay attention to. "You can hang onto that money for now, there will be plenty of time to count it when we're back in Grollek's Grove." Pocketing the ring, Melira moves back through the light woods, towards the path.
Faidh sighs and directs the dog to aid in the defense of these people.
The Firbolg as a half elf pulls her battle axe and smiled and breading herself for the oncoming onslaught of the undead.
" Seriously not the way I wanted to go,but It won't be the worst way to go!" She said gritting her teeth as she strode forward and hopes the villagers will join in.
Back on the path it's just a short way up the hill to get to the main gate.
There is a little intersection on the path just before the gate with a side path leading around to the side of the gated area, probably leading off more towards the vineyards and the facilities related to harvesting the grapes.
The main gate is dead on straight ahead.
Well-worn granite flagstones line the ground beneath the imposing walls that extend to the east and west. The grand archway beneath the wall is tranquil but ominous. Although many visitors once passed through these grand gates, there is no sign that anyone has visited this place for many years. Dwarven handiwork is evident in both the walls and the heavy stone gates. Openings in the gates themselves reveal a large mansion towering over an overgrown garden.
The guards finish fumbling with the spyglass and train it on the hound at around the same time that Faidh’s invisibility begins to wear off. He points and a group of three young emissaries come forth, two riding the back of the same horse and another leading it on foot. As the three young men and women are getting close to Faidh, the older sentry with the spyglass seems to have turned his sights towards the dam and seen the skeletons and black shadows approaching.
Bells start ringing as the kids approach Faidh.
The eldest , astride the horse with her young brother’s arms wrapped about her waist, has red hair and freckles. The younger girl on foot waits for the elder one to speak.
”Hail Knight! What tidings do you bring? Is your hound dangerous? This horse is skittish.”
"Oh the dog, no, He..Her, Its fine, They are fine." Fiadh says a little happy she changed into her Half Elf form. She doubts the kids would welcome her true form.
" Unfortunately I bring ill tightens, Skeletons are coming. They arose from the water. They are also going for the Dam. My partner is out there trying to stop them! Please rally." She says as she looks about hoping the village headed her warning.
Bez peers at the gate.
He also tries to deduce anything revelatory about the dwarven handiwork of the structures.
"We know the garden will be dangerous. Don't let anything touch your skin," says Bez. He gathers up his rope again, considering its uses.
"Oh the dog, no, He..Her, Its fine, They are fine." Fiadh says a little happy she changed into her Half Elf form. She doubts the kids would welcome her true form.
" Unfortunately I bring ill tightens, Skeletons are coming. They arose from the water. They are also going for the Dam. My partner is out there trying to stop them! Please rally." She says as she looks about hoping the village headed her warning.
The freckled youngsters faces go pale, their eyes wide, their jaws slack.
"Un... undead!?"
The one on foot trains the spyglass up th slope of the hill towards the dam. The elder sister upon the horse spurs her on. "What is it Olly? What do you see?"
"Stout upright footmen, fleshless, made of bone like the dead. 30 or more. Others moving beneath the waves to join them. And something else. A dark tide, shadowy figures flying just above the surface of the waves! Estrid, I am afraid!"
The elder sistermoves her young brother to one knee and fumbles in her pack, producing a curved horn of bone. She drops it, curses, and the young boy slides off her leg down the side of the horse to recover it and hand it back. Estrid blows and a feeble broken sound issues forth. "My mouth is dry!" Finally she tries again and a crisp resounding clarion call splits the air.
After a moment the sound is answered from the unwalled city's edge. More lights are lit, the town stirs. Other watchmen can be seen with spyglasses and horns raising the alarm.
Estrid see's Faidh raising her arms to stand and fight, but shakes her head.
"Our fighting force will not martial against this foe, brave knight. We have defended our town against bandits before, but our people fear what is not natural. We have wise women whose divination's have foretold that the ancient army of the people who engineered out bridge might stir with unrest. The dark tidings had been spread but they were not believed by our leaders. Nonetheless, I know the sentiment of our militia and our common folk. We will abandon our home before we cross swords with those who should by all rights sleep beneath the ground.. or beneath the waves as the case may be. You did well to warn us. Do not give your life to protect mere waddle and daub, nor timbers. I must ride back to the towns edge now and see that my family escapes!"
She drags the young boy back on the horse, then sees that her sister Olly will not fit. She thinks better, dismounts, puts Olly on the horse and slaps it's hindquarters. Then she holds her youngest brothers hand and braces herself to run with him after the horse.
The fey hound, sensing the tense moment, bounds in excited circular laps around Faidh, unsure what to do but eager to serve.
"I see, my companion is trying to stop them at the damn. I will have to get to him. Unless anyone has the means to warn him." Fiadh looks to the dog and smiles.
" Go get Arkkamar and tell him to head this way if he can"She says as she as she still appears as a Half Elf, but waits to make sure the kids get clear
The dog obediently bounds away as the evacuation of the town begins. Faidh can see people running door to door, some people stuffing belongings into sacks and saddle bags, others just beginning to gather outside the towns edge with just the clothes on their back. An official looking town guard with a blue cloak and a white tabbard comes to meet with Faidh.
"I can muster a small fighting force to delay them if need be, but our first concern is to evacuate. Our force is mostly a volunteer force , prepared for little more than bandits, and tamping down criminal activity. A walking army of dead ancient dwarves is not what these men and women signed on for. Not to mention whatever black entities those are swirling above the river. They look like they fly? I have one fear, that in the panic of the evacuation some of my townspeople will get trampled. Well, I have a number of fears, but that one is most immediate."
Some time passes as the townsfolk go about their exodus. Before long the force of skeletons is close enough to make out their numbers, which seem to be swelling as reinforcements continue to join them from the river floor. The hysteria and uproar increase as townsfolk actually lay eyes on the marching dead, but the sun finally sinks behind the western horizon and the orange hues of the sunset fade leaving the dead army cloaked mostly in darkness. Their movement can still be made out in the dim light, and their eye sockets do seem to glow like burning embers.
The sweeping beams from the lightstations on the gem also provide some moments of frightening visibility into the encroaching force.
Back at the dam the fey hound rejoins Akkramar, anxiously pacing. Closing it's eyes it bows to the western sinking sun, as if meditating or praying. Upon opening it's eyes it paces up and down the dam. With it's hindpaws and snout it gathers some of the scattered bits of rubble from the shattered gem, collecting the spilled pieces into a pile.
Similarly, the dog bounds up and down the dam, pawing at the large wheels which connect to gears and apparatus of the dam.
"I had already thought about that..." - Akkramar nodded to the dog- "But I'm not sure if I open this dam, if it won't be floodin' tha city ye see?"
Akkramar is able to see that the dam had been closed in order to lower the water level for a construction project beneath the bridge along the banks of the river. From the dam, the equipment on the job site is visible, and it is evident that the workers had already concluded their work and gone home for the day, so there is no one in the path which is ordinarily followed by the river when it is not held by the dam.
The vegetation and dampness along the bank indicates what height the river ordinarily reaches when the dam is not active. It's clear that the skeleton foot-soldiers are marching in the area which is normally under water. As for humans, there is some construction equipment in the path of the river, but no people. The river had been lowered by the dam in order for them to do maintenance on the bridge, but the workers had gone home at the conclusion of the work day, and there is only equipment on the job site now, no people.
All of this is evident by being on the dam , and more is revealed when Akk begins inspecting the apparatus specifically.
The dam apparatus appears to be controllable with the wheels. There is a dwarven engineered lock system but it has been left in the unlocked state. The townsfolk must have not been too worried about anyone closing and opening their dam while they worked on the bridge repairs.
Investigating the gem turrets, Akkramar sees that the sweeping pattern they follow across the water is made possible by the swiveling motion of the podiums they occupy. Handles and levers certainly allow for the beams to be redirected and aimed.
The beams indeed do seem to be powered by sunlight, but now that the sun has almost fully set it becomes clear that they are capable of storing the sun's energy. Even with the sun low behind the western horizon, the gems are glowing brightly and projecting strong beams of light out into the darkness.
Even the rubble of the gem which had been shattered by the team of skeletons looks as if it is clearly radiating light from it's debris.
Upon investigating all of this Akk can ascertain that the shattered debris of the first turret can be consolidated in a pile back on it's podium to allow the turret to project a beam of light again.
It is also possible to see from here that the floating shadowy apparitions coming out of the river only appear when there is no sunbeam, and they avoid the beams of light.
"Ok then, let's see what this does..." - the dwarf popnders, trying to activate one of the gem turrets, and pointing it at the undead masses between himself and the town.
"Wasn't planning on it." Melira shivers, wondering what would have happened to her if she'd been grabbed by the plant. "We should circle the mansion and look for a good entry point."
She watches Bez examine the dwarves handiwork curiously, sword still drawn. I wonder if I should wear that ring. I should find out what it is first, though.
Bez peers at the gate.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 2
He also tries to deduce anything revelatory about the dwarven handiwork of the structures.
[dice=Investigation]1d20 + 6
"We know the garden will be dangerous. Don't let anything touch your skin," says Bez. He gathers up his rope again, considering its uses.
Bez and Melira had made their way out of the light woods, back onto the main road of ruined cobblestones, and on up the hill to the main gate of the mansion itself, seeted atop a hill.
Bez's investigation reveals a hideout at the interesection where the road connects to a sidepath that leads around the gated area to the left towards the vineyards.
The hideout is a concealed hovel or leanto, set apart from the intersection in such a fashion that it can't be seen from the road,but the road and intersecting path to the vineyard can be observed from the hideout. However, Bez through his recconaisaance is able to become aware of the hidden little fort before even setting foot onto the instersection of the path and the road which the hidden fort is set up to overlook.
Bez is able to see footprints of humanoids, coming and going from the hideout to patrol the perimeter of the gate. He can see tufts of golden brown fur stuck to some of the thorny brambles surrounding the hideout. There is a feint sound of snoring or labored slow breathing as if a sleeping or sedated party whithin the hideout must be suffering some congestion. The breaths have a mucousey rattle sound to them.
Melira can also make out these phenomena after seeing bez pause before the intersection.
The dwarven gates appear to be counterweighted for silent operation. They are of excellent craftsmanship and in good repair.
"Ok then, let's see what this does..." - the dwarf popnders, trying to activate one of the gem turrets, and pointing it at the undead masses between himself and the town.
The controls for the gem turret feel comfortable and intuitive for Akkramar. Made by his kind, they feel natural in his hands and satifying to operate.
By directing the beam he quickly determines that he can use this to suppress the rise of shadowy apparitions from the river. The two still operational turrets are midway through the river, apart from the south bank along which the skeleton troops are marching, and where the fey knight had last been seen. The broken turret is the only one which would be capable of reaching that shore with it's beam, but it would have to be repaired for that.
The hound bounds excitedly up and down the dam, obviously pleased with Akkramar's efforts.
Back down at the settlement, the evacuation proceeds. From where Faidh stands she see's the skeleton troops pause in their march as their general seems to be assessing something going on in the river having to do with the lights from the dam.
"Hehehehe, ye like that don'tcha? Seein' them shyin' away from the light?" - Akkramar smiles at the dog, and continues operating the contraption - "Let's keep them busy shall we?"
Bez points out the leanto and the fur and motions that they should continue, silently. Years of practice at infiltration have taught him--leave sentries be, if possible.
Melira follows his pointers, watching carefully. Once she works it out, she hefts her sword and moves towards their would be ambushers, only to be stopped by Bez. Silently, she nods. These are the same creatures from the note. We must get out of here before they wake up, or else take a different road out. She briefly looks for a lock on the gate, but decides it would be better to leave it unlocked in any case.
She looks over the mansion again more carefully. Is it also in good repair? She then considers the garden as they enter past the gate.
Bez leads on a bit.
He is as silent as the grave.
He eyes the gate as they pass it. Can they climb it if something closes it?
Ok so the hidden hovel is outside the gate, before reaching it. It stands at an intersection where the main cobblestone driveway intersects with a trail leading off to the left to wrap around the outside of the stonemasonry wall surrounding the grounds of the mansion proper.
The area outside the stonewall had been made of light forest til now as you climbed the hill, but now that you have reached the wall and gate, from here on out the area to the sides and behind the walled off mansion is made up of vineyards.
Peering down the path that veers off to the left to wrap around the outside of the mason walls, you can see that deep in the vineyards there is at least one buidling, the kind of utility buildings you would expect on the grounds of a noble lords mansion. These outbuildings are usually present to house servants and for the operation of the facilities.
The particular building you can lay eyes on from this little intersection outside the front gate, would appear to be a stables, although you can't see if it is in use.
Bez is able to creep quietly past the little hideout, where the snores can be heard from likely some kind of would-be sentries, possibly a larger variety of goblinoid.
The dwarven made gate swings open when prompted in absolute silence. Beautiful counterweight systems make it swing on it's hinges with the slitest urging, without so much as a creek.
Upon the opening of the gate, Melira is greeted by the first sights of the gardens within. They must have been regal at one time but now they are overgrown, tangled, and choking the footpaths. On the other hand, the heavily mutated and carnivorous vegetation which had been seen in the light forest along the driveway does not appear to be infesting these gardens within the mason walls.
Bez passes through the gate like a whisper, with Melira at his heels. The ground beneath their feet has a light frost making it crunch a bit, but if Bez and Melira's ears are keen enough to detect the gentle sound of leather heels crunching into the dead leaves and frosty earth, the same can't be said for the humanoid sentry within the hovel, whose labored breathing doesn't change at all in response to the passage of the two adventurers creeping through the gate.
Bez and Melira each inspect the dwarven gate apparatus in silence, noting that it has a simple latch to shut it. A length of iron chain can be seen partly buried in the ground nearby, within the gate entrance. The gate was made to swing inwards, and the chain must have fallen to the ground long ago while the gate was swung wide open, perhaps to allow a carriage or a large party to enter.
The forgotten chain is now partly buried, and the ground is probably frozen enough to make excavation of the chain a fairly strenuous activity, as the nights have been getting cold enough for the ground to become quite hard.
The gate doors themselves are stone, set beneath a great arch, with a pair of iron rings to pull open from within, and a matching pair outisde the doors. They split in the middle to swing inward, like tavern doors. The way the hinges are constructed, it is possible for the doors to swing outward partially as well, but only far enough for a human sized creature to pass through. It is only when swinging inward that they open fully, to allow carriages or large entourages to comfortably pass through.
The gates when opened stay open without any need for a stopper or jam, and can be swung closed just as easily. The engineering is really quite marvelous. They just sit there in the open position, and require a purposeful nudge to close, but not so effortless that a slight breeze would make them swing.
Bez notes the height of the gate. The arch itself is oversized, rising to a grand height much in excess of what would be needed for practical purposes to clear any carriage. This high arch is clearly for grandeur as much as for security. The adjoining walls are constructed at a height of 12 feet. Unusually high for a mason wall around a manor, but not so high as to prevent a reasonably fit and athletic person from clambering over them. They are made of loose stones stacked by dwarven craftsmen to interlock in the most pleasing and sturdy way. The masonry is excellent, but still being made form natural loose stone and no mortar it does provide excellent footlholds and even handholds for potential climbers. Beneath them, the ground had been leveled and laid with flagstones.
What strikes you about the grounds in general is that the lords who lived here seemed to cultivate the flora and fauna. These high walls may not stop a skilled climber, but they do clearly delineate a boundary between the garden within and the light forest and vineyards without.
Having passed through the stone archway into the interior of the manor grounds, bez and Melira gain a more panoramic view of the walled in gardens and effectively the front yard of the manor house.
Though not as overgrown and dark as the light forest to the south, the plants here have a twisted aspect to them that matches the forest and perhaps even magnifies its strangeness. Time, the curse, and neglect have allowed the plants to become overgrown to the point that they fight each other for light and food. The curse seems to have festered and grown in strength here. The mansion itself has a twisted facade with broken windows and gargoyles that dangle over its entryway. Thin gravel paths circle through the overgrown gardens, passing hidden benches guests once rested on while viewing the plants.
The house itself has a flight of large marble stairs leading up to it's front doors. Between you and those large steps lies a labyrinth of overgrown gardens, replete with statuary. The carriage trail splits just inside the gate to form a loop, so that whether one takes the right path or the left path, one would circumnavigate a large fountain before arriving at the marble steps up to the mansion doors.
The fountain within the carriage trail loop is made up of statues of five mermaids holding instruments. The statues are covered in algae, and the water in the basin is stagnant. You can see where water should pour out of the instruments held by the mermaids, to fill and refresh the basin, but none of it appears to be operational now.
A side path splits off from the carriage trail loop, leading to the left to a small gate in the left edge of the mason wall surrounding the inner garden area. This side path appears to lead to the same area of the vineyards and stable building which you had seen a similar sidepath leading towards when you were still outside the stone gate.
These side paths look fit for foot traffic and may have been used by servants and nobles alike, to move from the walled in garden area outward to the vineyards and outbuildings beyond the high 12' mason wall.
Similarly on the left side of the garden area, near to the left wall but further on into the grounds so that it is nearly perpendicular to the mansion itself, there is an area of thick shrubs concealing some object made of smooth pale blue marble.
Off to your right, in the other direction, you can make out a white fountain, shattered by vines that seem to be choking a nd suffocating it. Rubble from the fountain lies at the feet of it, as if the vines had constricted it until it broke. In the tree branches above the fountain, a dessicated corpse is hanging suspended by the same vines, it's limbs and appendages constricted in some places to a very narrow diameter, like wet laundry being twisted to wring out the water.
"Let's avoid those vines, they seem dangerous." Melira indicated the fountain off to the right where the strangling vine has killed someone.
"That pale blue marble is interesting. However, I think we should go straight for the mansion instead. Sound good to you, Bez?" Melira's voice is as quiet as her footsteps. She shivers slightly in the cold, the metal of her sword hilt making her fingers ache where it touched them.
"I was never much for the great outdoors," says Bez softly in agreement. "The prizes will be inside, unless they're in some carnivorous plant's midden. I'm in favor of grabbing the first glittering things we see and running out. Longer inspection leads to a greater chance of contracting the curse," he says, and pauses to look Melira over with a detached air of appraisal. "We need to watch each other. At the first sign of something wrong in the other person's countenance, we go."
Bez plants a torch at the entrance to the fountain-loop, and pulls up the snood of his gugel-hood, obscuring all but his gleaming eyes. "We don't want anything from that fountain going into our noses or mouths."
His swords remain in their scabbards--for now.
The evacuation of the town begins smoothly and orderly. The people line up in a que and march out onto the road heading in the direction of Endhome.
When the skeleton general see’s that his shadow reinforcements are being suppressed by a beam from the dam, and the troops he sent to smash the lights only eliminated one light, he turns and gazes at the dam.
Akkramar is pretty sure he should not be able to be spotted from that angle and that distance, but it is unnerving to see the helmed skull affixed in his direction.
The general looks out over the shadows being burned and driven down by the light. He looks at the lines of humans fleeing the settlement. After a long deliberation he points to his regimen of more than thirty soldiers , their numbers gradually swelling as more animated dwarven bones camber up out of the river bed.
He points to the dam and nine skeletons fall back from the ranks and turn to march back to the dam.
Next to Akkramar, the Fey hound sees them coming and barks, pawing anxiously at Akkramars thigh to warn him.
Bez plants a torch at the entrance to the fountain-loop, and pulls up the snood of his gugel-hood, obscuring all but his gleaming eyes. "We don't want anything from that fountain going into our noses or mouths."
His swords remain in their scabbards--for now.
The torch planted in the frosty ground casts it’s flickering light over the assortment of mermaids in disrepair. What was already perceptible in the dim light of the evening becomes more evident now. The water in the basin is fowl and corrupted.
The marble steps ahead are dusty and not evidently in regular use. The gargoyles look more menacing then elegant with the disturbing contrast of luxury and ruin which characterizes the grounds of the manor.
"I see them" - Akkramar nodded in appreciation of the dog's warning - "Three of those almost killed me dead, so I'm guessin' nine is a pretty tall order" - he grumbled - "Either I stop them with this, or I will be gettin' outta here!"
Bez peers at the doors and at the walls of the manor.
Melira looks closely at the gargoyles, wondering if they're about to bite her new friend. "We should circle around the house and look for other entrances."
"Gotta give the town as much time as we can" - the dwarf snarled - "Livin' forever ain't all it's cracked up to be anyway" - he chuckled at the dog, drawing shield and warhammer - "Ye can go to yer master lad - ye've already been a great help. Go on now!"
Shooing the loyal animal away, he moves away from the structures to meet the skeletons head on - "Come on then! Ye will need ta pass me by if ye wanna wreck them beacons!"
Bez peers at the doors and at the walls of the manor.
[dice=Perception to check the door for traps and whatnot]1d20 + 2
[dice=Perception up the wall]1d20 + 2
Elegant white marble steps lead up to the doorway into the mansion (see Area 26, below). The sturdy marble shows the wear of many feet, but broken windows along the front of the mansion and the lack of any lanterns suggest the steps have not seen use for quite a long time. Gardens extending to the north, south, and west were once a place of wonder, bearing the elegance that the wealthy use to impress each other. That time is long past; now the gardens are so overgrown that not even the finest gardener could rescue them. The plants are intertwined and appear to be in some sort of quiet struggle, slowly strangling each other out of existence.
As Bez heads up the stairs, even though he is focused on the door and the wall, he is able to notice that there is something lurking behind the steps hoping to ambush once he passes up the stairs to the front door.
Bez can make out a patch of fur through the leaves. Leopard print! He has seen it on fancy clothes before but never on an animal in this temperate climate. Then again, nobles with a garden this fancy might have kept all kinds of exotic pets.
"Gotta give the town as much time as we can" - the dwarf snarled - "Livin' forever ain't all it's cracked up to be anyway" - he chuckled at the dog, drawing shield and warhammer - "Ye can go to yer master lad - ye've already been a great help. Go on now!"
Shooing the loyal animal away, he moves away from the structures to meet the skeletons head on - "Come on then! Ye will need ta pass me by if ye wanna wreck them beacons!"
"Hold. There's a kitty here. Arms," says Bez, drawing his swords silently.
Melira's sword has been out since the pair got close. It quivers now. Her vision starts to tunnel again, just as it did last time she fought.
She takes a long, slow breath. In and out. With a wink in her voice, Melira whispers sly and slow right in Bez's ear. "Don't worry, what could go wrong?" Her words bend and twist, steaming in the frozen air.
Bez is started up the great marble steps when the leopard comes leaping out from the garden off to the left of the stair, tucks under the rail and comes blinding down the steps right at Bez.
Melira is a several paces back and not yet at the stairwell.
The cat is upon Bez in an instant, barreling down on him with great velocity.
Faidh is able to follow the ridge, even without virtue of invisibility she can get by the main force and follow the nine that split off to check on the dam. She just has to go the way the hound went basically. Easy enough. When she gets there she sees Akkramar standing defiantly between the da, and nine dwarve skeletons. The hound comes to meet her then accompanies her toward the rank of skeletons.
They look more concerned with the dam and the gem turrets than they are with Akkramar, but since he is standing in their way… they raise their rusted polearms!
Once the people are mobilized Faidh will begin to figure out how to make her way to the dam.
"What, you would hurt those who have always provided you with a bowl of milk and a warm bed?" Melira's voice warps and buckles with magical energy.
She circles around the leopard, keeping ten feet away and moving so that she's on the opposite side as Bez.
The hooded tiefling whirls out of the way of the leopard, his moves spare and economical. Bez is silent, slashing at the feline with both blades, looking for an opening.