The Sky has been slowly darkening all day, and the smell of rain has been thick in the air.
Now it has finally begun to fall, accompanied by loud peals of thunder that seem to roll across the landscape.
The sun is hidden behind massive storm-clouds, and a cold wind blows from the north.
As bolts of lightning begin to slam from cloud to ground and pieces of hail begin to strike the earth, the need for shelter becomes obvious.
Ahead in the distance, a large tor rises from the ground, its form illuminated by the occasional lightning bolt.
It seems rocky and solid, and though climbing it in this weather would be folly,
it might have some outcropping that would provide safety from the storm.
As it looks like this storm will get worse.
You make your way to the tor for shelter.
The Massive tor towers above the surrounding country.
A few narrow ledges offer scant protection from the elements,
but a closer inspection reveals a massive arched entryway at least 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, set into the side of the hill.
The ground just outside it slopes away from the doorway, directing the falling water out and away.
Given this fact and the sturdy nature of the hill,
whatever space lies beyond the door should be both dry and safe from lightning and hail.
The construction seems quite sturdy, so the likelihood of collapse, even in severe conditions such as these, is remote.
The door is heavy, but well counter weighted.
It is unlocked and opens easily and it swings shut of its own accord unless propped open.
The stonework is very well done, and this place is indeed strong and sturdy.
There are the remains of an immense, round stone scattered across the ground near the entrance.
This stone blocked the doorway, but was blasted apart by lightning some weeks ago.
Kilain moved to where the stone door protected intrance to the Tor, examining it. he turned to his comrades on this journey and said, his voice sounding like he was chewing gravel Looks like good solid stonework. No fears of it collapsin. What say we enter and get out of this rain.
"Let's go, it'll be fun, and we won't be soaked." Ayla says cheerfully as she towers over the dwarf with her height of 7 feet and 6 inches, causing the dwarven cleric to only reach her hip in height.
She spots something and says in a confused way
"Can rocks explode? As it seems a stone that was blocking this door exploded."
she then walks to the door
"Oh well, time to open this door and dry off."
She rolls the door open and then kicks a stone in place to prop it open.
Jenise is huddled inside her long blue woolen coat, hood pulled up in an attempt to keep the driving rain out. She isn't entirely succeeding. "Agreed. I'm freezing out here." The downsides of being thin, the sorceress gets cold easily. "If anyone lives here, hopefully they'll accept some coin to let us stay until the storm lets up."
Ayla smiles as Jenise walks by her into the tor/tomb, with Jenise about as tall as Ayla's chest, and both with their blonde hair of their ulfen heritage.
"I they'll understand" Ayla says
Al waits his turn to enter the ruined tower as the others examine the doorway. Once he is able to enter, he raises his hands and summons a light to illuminate the interior.
"There we go, now we can see what is what. Next, I think is getting dry."
With a flick of his wrist the water sluices from his clothing, leaving him dry. He does the same for the rest of the group as they wait.
The stone chamber beyond the entrance measures
at least ten paces square. Peeling paint and
broken scrollwork suggest that it was once decorated
with some care, but now only dust remains.
Three massive stone doors—one each to the left
and right, and one directly across from the
entrance—lead deeper into the tor.
"Wow, this room is big, and there is so much room.
We should have no problem with a fire in here to warm us up some?" Ayla says cheerfully.
Kilain pauses looking around the huge room. Huuurm. Wat wud dey be needin a room so large fur? His hand went for his hammer instinctively. something bothered him about this room that was big enough for an audience hall.
"Who knows, maybe they had too much fun digging it?" Ayla says with a innocent smile.
"Thanks, Adalphorius." Jenise relaxes as her clothes instantly dry off. "I guess that the people who built this place were rich folk who wanted to show off by building a really big house. Or maybe it's like a fortress, and they wanted room to fight in front of the door?" She looks around, curious. "Anyone else want to see what's behind the doors? If someone lives here, we should probably find them and ask if it's okay for us to stay."
"I'm curious myself" Ayla goes and tries the doors, they don't open.
"I guess they are all locked."
Al examines the doors and walls for a possible way into the main building.
Perception:
The Doors to 4,6,7 are locked or jammed shut.
Ayla gets a fire going in the middle of the room so there is light and heat for the night.
"Ah a warm fire is nice for cold stormy nights like this..."
After the fire has been going for the past 10 minutes, a ulfen woman with her child comes through the door Ayla propped open.
The ulfen woman of 6 foot 6 sees the group and says
"Storm Peace?"
The child looks at the group while clinging to his mother.
"Storm peace" Ayla replies
The Woman and child get near the fire to warm up and dry off.
As soon as the Woman and child are near the fire and set a place to rest another enters trough the door and also says "Storm peace"
"Indeed my good man, Storm Peace! Looks like we are getting a goodly number of travelers here. Do any of you know anything about this place?"
In his french accent
"I do know some of it, this tor is more a tomb from what I've heard."
"Oh silly me, where are my manners, I'm Pip Bernadotte."
With a short bow towards the man, Al introduces himself and his companions.
"A tomb you say...do you happen to know who is interred within?"
He also introduces the group to the woman and child by the fire.
"Madam would you like me to dry your clothes for you? I am a wizard and have a minor spell to remove the water from your clothing."
He looks back at the man.
"And yours as well, if you want."
The woman replies "Thank you, if you don't mind."
Pip:
"I'll dry by the fire, as the dampness reminds me, I am alive."
Again with a wave of his hand the water slides off the woman's clothes and onto the ground.
"A pleasure...and I am sorry I did not catch your or your childs names"
Leonora:
"Oh right I've not introduced us yet, I'm Leonora, and this is my son Kirk,"
Kirk:
Kirk looks at Al for a brief bit before staring at Ayla again.
Kilain sat by the fire and watched the newcomers come in from the storm. He looked at the woman and said Well Met Leonora. and yu too young man. Its a bad night for folks to be out. What takes yu from yur home dis night?
"We are on our way to Sandpoint, and hoping to start over after bandits burned down our village and killed my husband 2 days ago.
And it has been quite exhausting traveling." she answers.
Pip:
In his french accent
"Then these bandits are amateurs, I would know, as I was one for a time before I became a mercenary.
I'm retiring from mercenary line of work as Lady luck so don't always like me, as she is quite the fickle lady, no."
"I would also be nice to know the names of those taking shelter with us, no."
Kirk:
Looks at Kilain before hiding behind his mother.
"I'm Jenise Aldercroft, nice to meet you." Jenise smiles and offers a hand to each of the strangers in turn. She looks at Pip. "Any idea whose tomb this is? Camping in a tomb... well, I hope the dead here are the understanding type."
He looks at Kirk hiding behind his mother and smiles Yu have nuttin to fear from me laddie then at Pip. answering he straightens up as he talks.
I be Kilain of House Gravendak from Clan Quarrymaster of the Hammer Halls, in Five Kings Mountains....and yu Pip, what brings yu around in such a storm.
Pip:
in his french accent
Pip answers Jenise question
"Unfortunately, I don't have a name, madam.
Though I do know this tor became a tomb for a warlord, long ago."
Pip answering Kilain's question
"I'm looking for a place to retire from mercenary work, One piece of advice I can give is never take contact for work in Ustalav, as work there can be a bloody mess, no, especially with those vampires, in some cases work in that country is more of a nightmare then work in Mendev."
"I've been near the Five Kings Mountains, when I took a job in Andoran, I can't give the details, though I will say it was fun messing with the devil worshipping ****s in Isger."
Ayla looks/listen at the conversation and realising she forgot to introduce herself.
"I am Ayla Titania Aiba, I'm from a small town named Norham, near the Iron Peaks in Varisia."
Leonora:
Leonora holds and comforts her son,
"I fear the effects of the events back home going to last a while longer for Kirk.
I just hope he can recover from them."
Kilain looks at the doors and at the newcomers.
Well unless any of yu know how to unjamb dose doors and want to be explorin, Im gonna be gettin ready for bed.
Jenise nods and begins unpacking her bedroll. "Sounds like a good idea to me. Shall we set watches just in case?"
"Well sleeping in here is way better then out there for the night."
Ayla takes out her bedroll and starts getting ready for bed.
You all see a bright flash of light from the doorway nearly immediately followed by a very loud roar of thunder, loud enough to even shake the ground.
Jenise jumps, dropping her bedroll. "Whoa! Was that lightning just now?" She certainly doesn't want to open the door for a look and let the rain in.
"That was loud, Good thing we found this place, as I can see the hail falling the size of fists outside through the doorway."
You hear barely hear something like scratching and movement over the sound of the rain, hail, and thunder.
Kilain had almost jumped out of his armor when the crack of lightning occured. He scowled that caused the ground to shake. lightning normally doesnt do that unless it struck the ground.
he paused and listened and glanced around the room
"Huh, must have just been thunder." Jenise peeks warily outside the door. Unfortunately, she is human and can't see much in the dark.
"If a lightning strike to the ground can cause the ground to shake is scary."
Adalphorius
"I hear something moving and scratching somewhere?"
Kilain looks at Adolphorius and mutters Be ready dat bodes ill. and he moves toward the center of the room