"I don't like those crows." Effan shudders. Although this spot looks deserted, he's determined not to be caught embarrassingly off guard again.
At the "safe spot" he drops his pack. He tucks the wand up his sleeve, cuts and coils a 15' length of rope over his shoulder, and grasps his staff.
"I don't like those crows." Effan shudders. Although this spot looks deserted, he's determined not to be caught embarrassingly off guard again.
Keegan flaps his arms like wings.
"CAW! CAW, I says. I'm a crow, see?"
He then extends his thumb and index finger in a rough approximation of a hand crossbow. Tracking an invisible bird through the sky, he makes trigger-pulling motions with his middle finger.
"Pshew! Pshew!"
He flaps his arms frantically.
"CAW! CAW! CA-GAHHHKKK!"
He mimes shooting at something on the ground.
"Pshew!"
Keegan looks down at Effan.
"That's what this one does to nasty little birdies."
"Uhmmm... dis many crows? How many crows got away when we rescued Yip-a-Yap?" Maybe these are the same crows?
"Effan do you want to sneak around the crows? we could look for mushrooms by the water or even the other side."
Keegan flaps his arms like wings.
... "That's what this one does to nasty little birdies."
Mouth agape, Effan stands, suspended in mingling horror, mirth, and disbelief as Keegan runs through his pantomime. It takes him a long breath to decide Keegan means well. "Thanks, Keegan. I'll remember that."
"Uhmmm... dis many crows? How many crows got away when we rescued Yip-a-Yap?" Maybe these are the same crows?
"Effan do you want to sneak around the crows? we could look for mushrooms by the water or even the other side."
"Don't know, Hozs. Maybe one got away. ...."
"Laurel said the mushrooms grow where it's dark and there's metal nearby. Dwarves are miners, right? I'll bet there's metal or at least traces in the building, and it's shaded where the roof's intact. Makes sense to start there."
"Keegan, Raph. We need a way in. The breach in the inner wall looks like a good spot. When inside, we clear room by room, so we do not get over run. We should go slow, quite untill we really wake the place up."
Looks to the two gnomes and Hors " We are going to change the order a bit. I am going to take the rear, with Faldor. Hor and Effan in the middle and Keegan and Raph leading. They are our eyes and ears for unseen problems."
Looks at the scout "Any problems?"
"Keegan, Raph. We need a way in. The breach in the inner wall looks like a good spot. When inside, we clear room by room, so we do not get over run. We should go slow, quite untill we really wake the place up."
Looks to the two gnomes and Hors " We are going to change the order a bit. I am going to take the rear, with Faldor. Hor and Effan in the middle and Keegan and Raph leading. They are our eyes and ears for unseen problems."
Looks at the scout "Any problems?"
"Shuuur thaaaang, paaardner-piiilgrim-drooogy. Heh heh..."
Keegan laughs at his joke (which only he understands), then turns to Raphael.
"Raff, you havening fun yets? Aaah ha ha heh ha he he ha!"
Don't mind him. He's in a good mood.
You have a few ways to enter....
The front doors.
A breach on the west side, in the pool of stagnant water.
Or the north east corner collapse area, which has a couple of directions you could try.
Which will it be?
"Them's expectering us to sneak up through the wall-hole, so... I's think we go in frontways."
"Them's expectering us to sneak up through the wall-hole, so... I's think we go in frontways."
"Who's expecting us? Does someone live here? Only cause it doesn't look like anyone lives here. Hey Jaden maybe we can get the mushrooms from them!" he asks excitedly. Then Hozs shivers and the thought of gingerbread stick people 5-foots into his vision. "Oh. Uhmmm... yeah let's do like Keegan says" He pulls a bumble bee out of a bag. Tied to a string as it buzzes as it flies and looks like a little balloon floating above his hand. "Maybe this will help."
Faldor readies his crossbow in his hands and puts his lute over his shoulder. "The front door sounds as good as any, though if someone lives here mayhaps they have it trapped? But if they have it trapped then they expect us to come through the front door... Are we sure anything lives here to begin with?" Pausing from his slightly nervous ranting Faldor thinks for just a moment. "Mushrooms are going to be in the dark anyway, most likely a cellar where the dwarfs would not have the need to walk far for a meal. Most likely near the kitchen dwarfs are lazy and don't like using more energy then necessary."
"Remember, friends, if there's trouble, I'm right behind you."
Faldor readies his crossbow in his hands and puts his lute over his shoulder. "The front door sounds as good as any, though if someone lives here mayhaps they have it trapped? But if they have it trapped then they expect us to come through the front door... Are we sure anything lives here to begin with?" Pausing from his slightly nervous ranting Faldor thinks for just a moment. "Mushrooms are going to be in the dark anyway, most likely a cellar where the dwarfs would not have the need to walk far for a meal. Most likely near the kitchen dwarfs are lazy and don't like using more energy then necessary."
"Usualways, it be'en gnomers what want ter be instaken for small, 'feminate dwarffs, not 't'other way raound. Heh heh heh..."
Raphael sneers. "I don't think it makes a difference which way we go in... Unless you all are considering doing this in a stealthy fashion. If that's the case, I say we climb the walls and not go through any of the obvious entrances."
Raphael sneers. "I don't think it makes a difference which way we go in... Unless you all are considering doing this in a stealthy fashion. If that's the case, I say we climb the walls and not go through any of the obvious entrances."
"See, that's what I's getting for. They thinks we goes in over the wall acause it bein' not obbivous, so they be's pre-paired, see? We itty on through yonder front portal, we be's un-aspected, savvy?"
Raph holds his chin between his fingers. "Hmm... You may have a point, sir Keegan. The place is so small, though, that I'll bet they have the whole place watched... Problem is we don't even know who 'they' are. Maybe the place is abandoned?"
Raph holds his chin between his fingers. "Hmm... You may have a point, sir Keegan. The place is so small, though, that I'll bet they have the whole place watched... Problem is we don't even know who 'they' are. Maybe the place is abandoned?"
"True, it looks abandoned. Why don't we stop talking and go look? After you Keegan."
"Right-o! Toodle pip and all tha', ol' chap!"
The party heads up the path, toward the main entry way, eyes scanning for danger. As the party closes on the gateway the cawing from the razorcrows grows in frequency and volume until first one and then another of them gives a final squawk, leaps from the crumbling battlements and flies off to the west in what could only be considered the avian version of a 'huff'. The remaining birds are silent for a moment before resuming their vocal berating of the party in a more subdued manner.
In getting closer, you can make out that the worn statues appear to mirror images of one another and look to portray a dwarf holding aloft a great stone hammer. They are quite overgrown with creepers and moss although you can see that beneath them on the pedestal is an inscription, covered in vegetation. You can see beyond the doorway is the yard, also thick with vegetation and debris, with a slightly worn trail running into the courtyard and splitting in various directions.
Faldor begins singing a small tune of great Gnome stone throwers as he casts magic hand. He picks up a rock and races it towards the squawking birds. "If your going to be here at least give us a good song to hear," Faldor says with a small smile.
Faldor begins singing a small tune of great Gnome stone throwers as he casts magic hand. He picks up a rock and races it towards the squawking birds. "If your going to be here at least give us a good song to hear," Faldor says with a small smile.
Effan knows the tune and tries to whistle along briefly, but his tone is too shrill and after a few notes he stops. "Sorry, Faldor. Please go on. I like that one."
WHen they come abreast of the statues, Effan tries to read the inscription. (Knows Dwarven)
Faldor's throw goes wide of the birds, bouncing off of the crumbling tower's outer wall. The caws that follow seem to mock the diminutive rock tosser.....
Effan brushes away a bit of moss and vine, uncovering the inscription, and reads "All praise _______". The last part looks to be intentionally defaced many, perhaps hundreds, of years ago. The statue looks like it was once quite magnificent before the ravages of time and the defacing reduced it to it's current state.
Hozs taps his thigh to the beat of the gnomes diddy and the crows song. "Sqawrk--Sqawrk," he quietly adds when he thinks it appropriate. Until the quickening rhythm from deep inside his chest throws him off beat.
With a winch Faldor continues singing and decides to just use his mage hand he conjured to throw the rock at the crows to push them around as he continues on with his song smiling broader as he goes.
'Silly halflings have tried to take the honor from us
But Gnomes know better and still make no fuss
Rocks go flying and targets come falling
Though the best thrower of all was Thenl Stalling
On a field of battle did the large ones play
Gnomes were crushed before joining the fray
Then our hero he came calling
'I'm Thenl Stalling!'
And with a shout the pebble went flying
A hit and a bounce and three giants lay dying'
CawWith a winch Faldor continues singing and decides to just use his mage hand he conjured to throw the rock at the crows to push them around as he continues on with his song smiling broader as he goes.
'Silly halflings have tried to take the honor from us
But Gnomes know better and still make no fussCaw Caw
SquakRocks go flying and targets come falling
Though the best thrower of all was Thenl Stalling
On a field of battle did the large ones play
Gnomes were crushed before joining the fraySquak Squak
Then our hero he came calling
'I'm Thenl Stalling!'
And with a shout the pebble went flying
A hit and a bounce and three giants lay dying'
"Nice one Faldor." To himself Hozs repeats. '..three giants lay dying...'
Jaden loads,oils and tightens his crossbow, runs a steel stone over his axe, trying to give it's edge back and sets his throwing axes on his hip next to his shield arm. The whole time his talks to him self
" Looks about right, could use another weapon, I always forget to bring a back up. Then again, the old man always belived in a tower shield too.. and wearing no armor...and eatting his enemy's hearts in Ravagug's name.. the god of wrath and destruction.. the old gods. "
Jaden thinks about his last words, and smiles. Of all the things to think of before entering an old church. Jaden closes his eyes, and mutters a small prayer to the old gods, for valor, glory and health to his friends... and death to his foes. He takes his place beside Faldor, and readys him self for battle
Most of the razorcrows leap from the battlements and fly above the party in circles. Each of the party members are pelted with 1-3 bombs of excrement before the birds wing back to their perch and take up their noisy watch.
Most of the razorcrows leap from the battlements and fly above the party in circles. Each of the party members are pelted with 1-3 bombs of excrement before the birds wing back to their perch and take up their noisy watch.
"Uhmmm... Eww.... Maybe we should get inside?" Still readying the spell, Hozs follows Keegan and the rest of the party into the monastary."
Raph almost screeches in dismay before launching into a litany of curses in Infernal.
"Blood, I'm fine with... But bird filth? This adventure has gone too far! Let's get this fungi and be done with it."
Keegan is too busy laughing to utter a withering retort.
"Hyeh he heh hee heh heh *hack* *ick*..."
The laughs dissolve into a frenzy of coughing. After a few seconds, Keegan spits a bloody gobbet into his hand. He wipes it on his leather britches.
"I's all better, now."
Effan throws up his arms to ward off the birds fusilade. It only results in soiled sleeves. "Uuugh...." He kneels down and tries to wipe his sleeves clean on the grass. That only results in smearing the mess. He stares at his arms in dismay, "This will need a good wash."
Tall grass and fallen chunks of stone have all but overtaken the small yard. To the left of the entryway is a moldering pile of wood and straw that appears to have once been a stable. The back corner of the eastern wall is collapsed, leaving a ragged hole and a mound of debris. Three doors exit this yard---a single door to the north, a set of double doors to the west, one of which is slightly ajar, and a lone door leading into the tower that the razorcrows are perched upon. Effan spots what looks to be a well to the northwest hidden in the tall grass and Hozs notes that a trail is running from the south entryway to the double doors and to the breach in the eastern wall.
Survival check DC 15-
survival (1d20=19) +2 = 21 all told
"Hey, guys looks at these tracks. Odd, isn't it? None seem to go to that well over there."
survival (1d20=19) +2 = 21 all told
"Hey, guys looks at these tracks. Odd, isn't it? None seem to go to that well over there."
You aren't sure about the reptilian track if they are bipedal, quadripedal or more but the mammal tracks look to be of the canine family, probably wolf or dog, but you aren't sure, not too sure on size either. The rain from the night before has blurred the tracks too much to garner any further info from them.
. "It's probably darker inside," Hozs points to the west wall, "And there was water on that side too. Uhmmm... How about the well? Hey Jaden if it had a metal bucket the mushrooms might grow down there!?" Excited about his leap of logic Hozs wants to checkout out the well.
Keegan bends down, his nose almost touching the ground.
"Hrmmmrm..."
As Hosz approached the well he notices that a rope is tied to an iron ring on the side of the well and hangs over the lip and into the well, creeping closer he sees, what looks to be, a body next to the wall. It looks like the body has been here quite some time, at least several months, judging by the decay. Getting closer Hosz can see that the corpse has some sort of sack lying just next to it and, as he cranes his neck he see that the rope ends about 10' down the side of the well in a ragged and frayed mess.
Faldor scans the suroundings as he keeps his eyes open for anything that may attack be it stick men or another cauldron... He shudders with the thought once again then gets an idea. Turning to his fox he gives a few signals and points to the hole in the wall. "Are we going to run back to the designated area or just stay here in this courtyard? Oh, and Fahn will watch this hole for us." Faldor points again to the hole. "Maybe the excrement will be our biggest problem," Faldor says as he sighs looking at his garments.
"Maybe the excrement will be our biggest problem," Faldor says as he sighs looking at his garments.
Jaden ignores the birds and there calls, and waits for a real foe
"Birds"
After the discovery of the body in the well, Jaden go to the well and pulls it out.
Catharine seats herself on a rock and watches the razor crows, occasionally licking her lips.
Effan wanders to the well. "what's that there, Hozs? On seeing the body, he stops. "Oh my." He stoops to examine the body.
Generic roll for spot search or other skill check associated with examing the body. (1d20=6)
"Oh, well, lookee here, droogies. 'Tis a nice new fleshy string puppet. Fun, that."
"Oh, well, lookee here, droogies. 'Tis a nice new fleshy string puppet. Fun, that."
Hozs shrugs, "just a body. I am more interested in the well right now though. Good idea Faldor." Turning to the rat he says "squeekity squeek squeek front gate. You too Yip a Yap"
"Oh, well, lookee here, droogies. 'Tis a nice new fleshy string puppet. Fun, that."Hozs shrugs, "just a body. I am more interested in the well right now though. Good idea Faldor." Turning to the rat he says "squeekity squeek squeek front gate. You too Yip a Yap"
Keegan moves toward the corpse. Grasping the rope around its neck, he proceeds to perform a grotesque sort of pantomime.
"Sees here, I be dead. Heh heh he, I be dead, and I gots no brains. Can I has yours? Pleeeeeez?"
He makes the body dance.
"I be ZOMBEEE, hurr, I WANTS YOUR BRAINS! Heh heh heh... I smell. Bad. HEH HE HEE AWWW HAH HAH HEH HYEH! Gittit? Heh he..."
...
He makes the body dance.
...
With a slightly disgusted face Faldor mangages a laugh, "I've actually seen worse shows." Then walks with the rest of the party towards the well, "Anything down there?"
Gives Keegan a unsure look.
"Keegan, must you? Do you want to check it over then? I think we should not wait to long, and get this field trip on the road."
Keegan moves toward the corpse. Grasping the rope around its neck, he proceeds to perform a grotesque sort of pantomime."Sees here, I be dead. Heh heh he, I be dead, and I gots no brains. Can I has yours? Pleeeeeez?"
He makes the body dance.
"I be ZOMBEEE, hurr, I WANTS YOUR BRAINS! Heh heh heh... I smell. Bad. HEH HE HEE AWWW HAH HAH HEH HYEH! Gittit? Heh he..."
Effan is annoyed by Keegan's initial chatter about brains. He tries to focus his attention on his examination of the body. When Keegan jerks the corpse upright, a startled Effan falls back into the long grass and stares up at the man's outre' waltz. Once again he's simlutaneously frightened, disgusted, and fascinated by the man. "He must be barking mad!" he thinks. "Or perhaps is a little like Hozs ... without Hozs' good traits."
In the midst of his strange puppet show, Keegan searches for a possible cause of death.
The body looks to be of a human explorer who appears to have died of un-natural causes many months ago.
The body looks to be of a human explorer who appears to have died of un-natural causes many months ago.