Elowen is silent at first, taking in the surroundings, the tracks, bones and partially ea5ten body, along with smaller clues, like broken twigs and branches.
"It looks like an explorer, and a pony...over there" she says pointing to the bones by the stable. "Both eaten by predators. It looks like these are the hunting grounds of both a wolfpack and some sort of reptile, as Penelope said, and yes the directions of the tracks add up."
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Soon, I, Sir Pounce the illustriously magnamiously endowed Apex Predator of all Apex predators shall show that probably oversized corgi who is the true lord of the beasts!
Sir Pounce indicates by suddenly jumping on Svetlanas back and having her carry him.
Carefull, whenever he does this he is in a pissing contest with the next predatory wildlife. The Oracle answers, this clearly not being the first time this happened.
Tucked behind the skeleton near the well is a tattered backpack.
The yard is silent even with the discovery of the strange prints.
Jenkin turns to face the northern entrance, axes at the ready. "If there's a snake-thing and wolves living inside the ruins, we'll have to face them sooner or later..." he ssays, pondering, "But maybe if we enter through the north instead of the entrace they use we can come up on them by surprise inside."
Looking through the tattered backpack beside the unfortunate skeleton, Elowen shows her findings to her companions, nodding at Jenkin's suggestion. "Probably a good idea not to enter a predator's abode through the front entrance."
Unless you are the undereatz meal delivery person, but then your eatz better be good or you will be the eatz! Sir Pounce indicated his assent to Elowen and Jenkins idea by making a very predatorial yawn into the direction of the entrace, and then jumping on Svetlanas back again.
Penelope finds the suggestions tactically sound, but sighs as the hope of finding the mushrooms outside are dashed. With a slow zing, she sheathed her sword and recovers her bow from her back.
Her sharp elven eyes look to the northern entrance "Do we need a light source?"
"I don't." Elowen responds, settling her grip on her staff with both hands as she looks to the northern entrance, eyes long accustomed to the deepest parts of the forest, rarely touched by even a faint dappling of the sunlight.
"I do, yeah." Jenkin says, pulling a torch from his backpack. "Anyone have a free hand to carry it? Mine are full of axes."
Odelai weaves a spell and taps on the head of Jenkin’s axe. It begins to glow lightly.
”There you are.”
Penny was about to put up her bow, but then Odelai lights the way (well lights the axes!), and she beams a little at the gnome woman. Instead she pulls and fits an arrow ready to move toward the hole.
Moving about as quietly as she normally walks, despite going slow and soft. She really should start dropping her gear if she ever wants to be quiet.
The northern door leads to a hallway. To the right is a heavily damaged statue. It looks like it was of a person and there is a stone hammer on the ground near it. Further down the left of the hallway are two doors. Beyond that it turns to the lefts.
Jenkin's eyes widen in surprise as Odelai negates the need for a torch, then nods in appreciation. Holding his lighted axe out in front, he heads through the northern door. Once through, he holds his axe up to examine the broken statue.
Odelai follows along quietly behind Jenkin and Penelope in case there is a need for occult oomph.
Elowen silently follows, peering around in the darkness for signs of danger, only to find herself distracted by the movement of the glowing axe.
Odelai pushes forward and lays a restraining hand on Jenkin’s hip. She says quietly, ”Woah. Go slow. I smell magic here.” She examines the wall across from the doorway.
Burning Hands (1):
Mage Armor (1):
Cure Light Wounds (1):
Dancing Lights (1):
Flare (1):
Prestidigitation (1):
Produce Flame (1):
Effects:
xxx = None
Yeah, I see it as well but no idea what it is! Lets be carefull!
Odelai lets Jenkin go. "Sorry. It's on the other side of the wall."
While Jenkin examines the statue, Odelai skirts around the warrior to peek through the doorway
As Odelai creeps forward to investigate, Elowen prepares for any sudden attack.
Lets follow that always open the left door first trick! Svetlana proposes as she and pounce get ready to open the door immidiatly to the left of the entrance.
Svetlana casts divine favor upon herself and will open the door unless actively stopped.
The door swings open easily without even turning the know. The stench of wet fur and old blood wafts outward. Gnawed bones litter the floor and tufts of gray and brown fur can be seen here and there. And something near the left rear of the room growls.
Svetlana boldly steps in to attack a spider
Prompting sir pounce to do the same
The growl is enough for Penny to pull back her bow string, arrow at the ready, for that moment she sees whatever is making it.
Svetlana snaps her teeth on the leg of the descending spider. As it fail about she misses. Sir Pounce catches in his maw when it falls. Pinning it under a paw while digging in. The arrow flys between legs and snuffs out what was left of the overly large spider. Legs curl up and the spider goes still.
The other one sckitters along the wall and fangs sink into Sir Pounces leg.
You f@#!ing 8 leg supremacist! 4 is the best number for legs! Which I will demonstrate by reducing your leg number by half, making you vermin far prettier in the process! Yes, I can do math! And you dont even have an int score!
As the poison takes hold, Sir Pounce radiates massive degrees of aggression into the spiders general direction.
Jenkin sighs as the action breaks out... somewhere far behind him. He comes running out of the northern hall, and spits an actual curse upon seeing the southern door opened. "What the hell, don't any of you know what a f$%$ing meat shield is?" he growls, as he coemes up behind Svetlana and Sir Pounce.
Odelai dives for the wall as Jenkin barrels past her. With all the warriors in the yard, she can do little else but watch as the battle unfolds.
Moving to the middle of the room, Elowen speaks a word in sylvan, bringing her staff down to strike the ground, and sending nature's blessing washing over her companions in a surge of energy.
Penny, ever mindful of the obvious, shouts "Don't let it bite you!" as she pulls back her bow string and fires another arrow.
Well fires, after she moves to where she has a chance of seeing it.
Jenkin continues barging, past Svetlana and Sir Pounce to take up a flanking position with the tiger, where he then spins and lays as hard a blow with a single axe as he can.
one save made
THATS ALL OF YOUR LEGS! UP YOURS! The tiger, flanking with jenkin, unleashes a devastating series of blows, resulting in ripping of 2 of the spiders legs!
Can you even count your legs now? 8-2 is how much! Yes, deep sixed! Just like you!
It would appear that Sir Pounce reacts to being poisoned by becoming a murderball of rage.
Biting into Jenkin's thigh just before claws and an axe rip it to shreds.
Jenkin mutters another curse as he sqishes what remains of the spider's face underneath his boot. "Stings a little. Nothing major."
Odelai looks over the warriors, seeing if anyone is grievously wounded.
After tending to anyone as necessary, the witch quickly ducks back into the corridor and goes through the northern door by the statue (area #12) to track down the magical signal.
Since the spider room has already been breached, Jenkin does a quick inspection of the barrels, crates, and pallets filling it before headed back to the northern corridor. Behind him and barely poking between his legs, a small furry, pointy nose sniffs the air as well.
Most of the crates are filled with rotten ancient foods and fabrics. But you do find a masterwork shortsword wrapped in oilcloth and a small crate with three unbroken bottles of some kind of dark liquor.
Penelope sees the wounds on Sir Pounce and Jenkin, but Odelai is already tending to them, so she keeps her eyes on the entrances, in case other creatures think they would make a good meal.
"Nice sword, good balance!" Jenkin says, unwrapping the blade. "Can anyone use it?" He sniffs at the bottles. "Can someone see if these are magic potions? Or just booze?"
Jenkin gets a funny look on his face. "Huh, yeah, that really stings..."
Bending to pick up one of the bottles, Elowen holds it up, studying it for a moment. Shrugging, she pops the seal on the bottle inhaling deeply, and hesitating long enough to mutter an invocation in Sylvan, before dipping a finger into the liquid inside and tasting it.
The strong alcohol smell is strong. Its a few old bottles of rum. Likely to fetch a decent price.
Resealing the bottle, Elowen hands them back to Jenkin.
"Just old alcohol. Strong." she replies, preparing to move on.
Penelope frowns at that, having never understood the draw to strong spirits that rob one of sense and make your insides erupt out by morning. But she keeps her opinions to herself.
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