IT's Carrion Hill (for real)


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The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

Round 2
Kiptera drops her bow to the side, draws her flail as she steps around the column to flank the remaining ghoul. She notes with certainty that the ghoul would have overrun her with ease if not for Caelin. She positions herself opposite of the ghoul while Tusk and Caelin occupy its attention then swings her flail at its dessicated torso.
Round 2:
Free Action: Glance at downed ghoul#1; drop bow.
Move action: Draw flail, Advance around the column, into flanking position
Attack:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
+5BAB+2St
Dmg1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
She shudders to herself, "Caelin, As per our old caravan guard promise, thats worth a pitcher of good stuff compliments of my coin purse." She glances around quickly, hurries to wall to take possession of dropped bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, just want to make sure its dead. The living tend to stay dead; the undead, well I want to make sure of. Too bad we don't have a fire." She shrugs to Tusk and Caelin before administering a coup de grace of sorts with her flail to the two nearest them. "I suppose we should take the book..." And looks for the other that went down from her arrow earlier, but first approaches the altar with body under the trees with caution.
Stealth1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26


'Let's make sure there aren't anymore critters lurking in the shadows before borrowing anymore trouble. I didn't like how that body just 'appeared' on the altar a moment before these scum rushed us. It's just a bit too convenient for my liking. My ancestors, I think it was the fifth, used to say, 'Convenience was the source of a good butt kicking.'

I suggest NPC Caelin for the moment. He can catch up if it interests him.

Lantern Lodge

Tusk the Monster Hunter wrote:


I suggest NPC Caelin for the moment. He can catch up if it interests him.

That sounds about right.

With a sickening series of cracks and pops, the ghoul drops to the ground, dead. The book in his hand clatters to the ground, sliding across the stone-- it's an enormous leather-bound book, seemingly locked tight with a series of metallic, almost puzzle-like clasps.

The man on the altar is a goggle-eyed, pale man, missing a hand-- a hand likely in the possession of the ghoul, still clutched in his grizzled maw.

The wrapped and cloaked corpse in the sludge bobs with the flow of the pool.

Off to the east, an opening in the cave reveals what seems to be a communal bedroom. Five beds, some bookshelves, a fire pit and a table are in the room, ordered and neat, untouched by the swathes of slime and mold. Books lay on almost every available surface.

The room is strangely quiet, save for the people within it.

Kiptera can plainly see that all three ghouls are extremely dead, their decomposing skin and bone blown apart by the arrow, the gauntlet and the group beating.

A Knowledge: Nature for the trees, and a Knowledge: Nature for the man in the pool. A Knowledge: Arcana for the book, as well, if that's being investigated.

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

...and then they were down to two.

K Nature(tree):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
K Nature(body):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
K Arcana(untrained):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 disregard as needed

Kiptera scrutinized Caelin closely, "You're not acting like yourself, but feel free to jump in front of me anytime." She ignores the the book and after checking on the first ghoul she struck down with the arrow, walks by the pool, prods it with a boar spear (pulled from her oh-so wonderful quiver) examining it with the point. Satisfied it is dead, but not dead-dead, she "discourages" a return from the grave and drags body out of the water for a closer examination before returning to Caelin and Tusk at the Altar. "When we are done making sure no surprises are here, I'd like to give this chamber a good once over and make more notes on map before we depart. Anyone against lighting the firepit?"


Male Human (Teldrua) Modern Hero (Soldier) 2

Still am Intrested, just my baby daughter got sick so it's complicated stuff... just not sleeping is hard enough hehehe

"Oi! Ya filthy creature this is gonna take a while to wash away" with disgust "no to mention the damn smell, besides no licking or biting in first dates"

Attack
1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22
Damage
1d10 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13


'No need.' says Tusk as he reaches into a pouch at his belt and pulls out a small jewel. He tosses it into the air and it begins to orbit around his head shedding light.

'While I can see in the dark, reading is a pain without a bit of light.'

'Now let's see what these scum have been hiding down here. Hmmm, five beds. Could mean five ghouls? But ghouls aren't known to tuck military corners on their beds. Could be the ghouls are left overs? Three ghouls, floater over there, and the owner of the home we started in could be five.'

'Gnaw pattern on the floater suggests that he was just an opportunistic meal for the ghouls. Nothing like a decomposing body to draw in the neighborhood. Like a pig roast and a block party without the pig or the party.'

Tusk continues his prattling talk as he tries to get a feel for the place.

Knowledge Nature Tree 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Knowledge Nature Body 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Knowledge Arcana Book 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Tusk takes some time to look over the five beds and using his enhanced scent ability and bloodhound ability to sniff them over.

Looking to try and guess how long since someone has used these beds. If there is enough of a scent left on any of the clothing then Tusk will gather swaths of fabric with reference scents for later tracking and comparison should he meet up with any of the owners of these beds.

Perception Scent w/ Bloodhound 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28

'Course, there being five beds here and we know Stinky has pop'd up topside at least three times already. Could be Stinky has daddy issues? Killed three of his papas and now got two more on his list of people that didn't love him as he grew up.'

Lantern Lodge

Caelin McHern wrote:
Still am Intrested, just my baby daughter got sick so it's complicated stuff... just not sleeping is hard enough hehehe

No problem, man. Hope that she feels better!

General:
To the north, as the room is explored, it's very easy to see that there are three northern exits to the room. The northwest and east are layered with metal bars to prevent entry-- the northmost's bars and crushed and bent to either side, like a massive creature pushed its way between them. This seems the most likely point of entry for the ghouls.

Arcana:
The book sits, abandoned on the floor. Written all across the outside are magical runes, expertly carved into the cover. It seems as if the book is extremely well taken care of, and extremely well made.

Nature:
Kiptera and Tusk can both easily tell that the corpse in the water is very likely a hunchbacked, deformed man. The cloak that he's wrapped in is surprisingly resilient, beautifully black with a large, face-obscuring hood. Spellcraft to identify; barring that, Knowledge: Arcana.

Examinating the man reveals that he's modestly dressed in trapper's clothing, wearing several strange bone and feather fetishes that seem to have been ruined by his stay in the water. His entire body is pale and bloodless, and the portions of his bare body open to view are covered with circular wounds, almost like bite marks or sucker marks. He bears evidence of massive trauma to almost his entire body-- like he was thrown with extreme force into a wall or object. On one of his thick, mud-stained fingers is a beautifully carved green wooden ring of what seems to be a linnorm of some kind, a pearl inset as the eye. Spellcraft to identify; barring that, Knowledge: Arcana.

Nature:
The trees are extremely strong and tough, completely petrified. They seem to grow naturally out of the floor of the room, up to the ceiling, where their branches scrape the roof of the cavern.

Tusk:
All of the books and notes in the room seem to be written hastily in some sort of strange, scrawling language, vowels and consonants spread disonantly across the pages. The pages, scattered and propped open, are covered in black ink, scritched hastily, as if written while being pursued. 'Ph'nglui Mglw'nafh Yog'Sothoth yswagh wgah'nagl fhtagn!'

The beds all smell of men; human men. None of them smell undead; but, one smells of undead. Foul smelling, acrid, bitter. Knowledge: Local to identify that smell. Another smells of decay, like sewer water. The final smells like whomever slept there enjoyed the presence of lichens, mosses and mud, or spent a lot of time in and around them.

Some of the smells are easy to trace-- one of the nondescript smells links to the mutilated man laying on the altar, and the lichens, mosses and mud smells link to the hunchbacked man who had just been laying in the sludge.

I had neglected to mention that the mutilated man on the altar had some strange effects around him. One moment. Time is reversing...

The mutilated man on the altar is bloodless and covered with many circular bite-marks or sucker marks; his hand is missing, still clutched in the mouth of the ghoul across the room, but there is no sign he was bleeding when his arm was removed. His other hand is wearing a beautiful ring and his bracers, simple cloth wrapped around his wrists, are marked with what seem to be Dwarven runes of protection. Spellcraft to identify both objects; barring that, Knowledge: Arcana.


Male Half Orc Cleric 2 Fighter 2

Looking around Tusk continues to prattle his thoughts;

'Well, I'd say Stinky went that way. I'd thought that we were talking serious dragon piss before but this is on a whole new scale the way these bars have been bent and knocked out of the way. What, never heard of that before? Well, there's some people, don't ask me how I know, that feel drinking dragon piss will make you stronger. Makes ya crazy if you ask me. But there are some that are just crazy for the stuff on the black market. 'Course most of the stuff sold there likely came from the bladder of goat or a goblin chained up in a closet somewhere. Unless you're the type to go collecting it yourself, you never know what hole the stuff in a beaker came out of.'

'Well, that's definitely disturbing. Bad enough finding trees this far under ground. 'Course at one time they might have been on the surface. But to have found them petrified. I've seen a few trees in nature like that but usually they're around some sort of old lava pit or volcano. I haven't heard of anything like that around here. That generally means magic or some sort of critter done this.'

'I hate critters that can petrify. They don't fight fair. Stare at them or touch them and,' Tusk takes a moment to smack his fists together. 'Blamo! You're good for nothing but pigeons dew droppings. I prefer long spears or good archers for that sort of nastiness. These 'ere tunnels,' Spitting, 'are all in the favour of the ambush-er and not the ambush-e.'

Sniffing, 'hmm...Floater and Altar boy seem to have been part of the original five. Makes it easier for us, I suppose. These marks on the body, whatch'ya make of them. I noticed one of the bodies up top was blood drained too. It's not fang marks so I don't think this is vampirism. At least not the standard type that I've seen before. Brains still here so someone didn't scoop themselves out a slurpe. Bodies weren't electrified so no floating beak brains.'

'Curiouser and curiouser. Kinda like these semi-writings. I know a bit of odd writing systems but these fellows really need to go back temple and take some remedial lessons. They're penmenship is horrible. A proper rap on the knuckles for the lot of them. 'Course it looks like they're student might have beat the teacher to it.'

Spellcraft Cloak and Hood 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Spellcraft Floater Ring 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Knowledge Local for smell bed 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Spellcraft Altar Ring Dwarven 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Spellcraft Bracers Dwarven 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Also, using Detect magic with the object and spending the 3 rounds to help figure out the type of magic associated with each object.

Knowledge Arcana Cloak and Hood 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Knowledge Arcana Floater Ring 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Knowledge Arcana Altar Ring Dwarven 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Knowledge Arcana Bracers Dwarven 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

'Kip, Caelin, How's you're Dwarven? Can either of you read what these runes say?'

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

Liptera responds with a simple yes, but with a smirk. "Yes, coincidentally, I can speak and read Dwarven. I shall peruse it if you'd like...' She opens her hands to recieve the tome and steps closer into the torch light. She reads the Dwarven text. "By the way, I've no talent towards any kind of magic. Just never was my style to rely on it, too much anyway."

Lantern Lodge

Treasure tiiiime.

The Dwarven runes along the cloth bracers read 'Strength' 'Power' 'Protection' and 'Armor' over and over again along the strips of the cloth-- a protective ward, perhaps? After a few seconds under detect magic, they begin to glow white, a sign of conjuration magic. The ring the hunchback is wearing shines with transmuation magic. Tusk is unable to identify both objects; However, he is able to recognize the patterns in the design of the ring as a likely candidate for a ring made to enhance someone's swimming prowess, created, likely, by a druid. It may be a ring of swimming.

The cloak and the hood on the drowned hunchback shine with abjuration magic. A cloak of resistance +1.

The beautiful ring on the goggle-eyed human man, a simple golden band that seems to shine as if it was just recently polished, glows with abjuration as well. A ring of protection +2.

Tusk recognizes the smell on the bed-- the bitter and terrible smell is middenstone, Carrion Hill's primary export. Middenstone is created from the one natural resource the people of Carrion Hill have in abundance-- carrion roaches, giant, inch-long cockroaches that infest the lower slums of the city. Ground up, boiled and mixed in the correct portions with brick, bone and gravel, the cockroaches are transformed into bricks of middenstone, which is used primarily in almost every structure in the slums of Carrion Hill.

Whoever slept in that bed likely had direct interaction with middenstone during its creation process on a daily basis.

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

Kiptera eyes the dwarven cloth bracers; it is obvious she would not make a profession of gambling. When she hears Tusks suspicion about the Ring of Swimming, she compares it to her own. "I've no desire for two rings to swim with, unless it comes with water breathing."
The other items, cloak and ring, she glances at briefly. "Well, looks like any one of us would benefit from this. However, if we keep playing catch Stinky with you [pointing at Tusk] as bait then, I believe, you need all the protection you can get. And Caelin is more than willing to rush in. I am a decent fighter, just don't care for being on the front line. So I'll take the leftovers if any."

She steps away and starts a fire in the pit, if there is any wood available, so she can skim through the library of books, to figure out who these people were, why they were down here, their relation to Stinky and the destroyed residence of a retired adventurer.


'Well, I've always been partial to shiny things. I'm not a bad swimmer though armour can make it more difficult. If'n no one else complains then I'd take the gold ring. While I do have a solid shield, many times my hands are pretty full when I'm fighting.'

Tusk takes the ring off the man, gives it a rub and a polish to get the scent of death off of it.

Tusk then continues his investigation of the room using magic.

I'll go with what people want to do with the magical things. The ring of protection +2 would help Tusk but if Caelin has a better usage for it then that is fine.

Casting Detect magic to look for a possible casting circle and to look further into the area of the Altar.

Knowledge Religion for altar 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Knowledge Arcana Detect magic looking for areas with leftover traces of magical castings. Particularly, summoning circles and such. 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Perception looking over altar and surrounding hill 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29 Extra +8 if smell related.

Lantern Lodge

All of the books, and all of the notes, are written in the same gibbering, nonsensical language-- Aklo, the language of the mad or great old things that dwell beneath the earth and beyond the darkness. While no one in the party can read them, the notes and books themselves are all in very good shape-- if taken, it's likely that one of the priests of Pharasma will be able to speak the language and decipher the clues.

The altar itself seems to be writhe with faded necromantic and conjuration magic energies. Besides that, it seems as if most things found here have been unearthed already.

The heavy iron book continues to lay on the floor, waiting.


Tusk making sure to stand a safe distance from the others, makes sure his hands are gauntlet'd and picks up the iron book. His small crystal continues to orbit his head as he looks into the book.

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

"Yeah... Come over here near the fire I'm starting in the fire pit. While you play nice with that book, I'd like to figure out what books to bring back to our war room with the other books scavanged from the house. This place is still unsecured and we haven't searched the cave complex yet. Personnally, I am all for "Grab and Go", heading back the way we came. Deposit our findings on the surface, grab a bite to eat, let Pharmasm church do thier Think Tank duties and return refreshed and possibly with an interested acolyte."

She scans the books, to pull out the the use that have shown the most use, or all of them that she can carry. She glances regularly at Tusk as he handles the book gingerly as if it had teeth.


'Stinky is going to get further ahead of us if we head back. Still, we were hired to find out info on Stinky. We haven't really been commissioned to hunt the beast down. I agree that I'd like to know more before I go stumbling into some blood sucking octopus.'

Lantern Lodge

The book itself is large, looking to be about 500 pages and ten pounds. It does nothing when handled, but the massive iron clasps mean that it takes more than pulling to open the book-- as clasps lift, others close, and as some turn, others twist.

An intelligence check or a disable device check to open the book itself, which is cleverly trapped with an extremely elaborate puzzle.


Male Human (Teldrua) Modern Hero (Soldier) 2

"Oi! Well we could just carry them back and return, mark this point in the map or carry them around to find stuff on our stinky friendly bloodsucker?" letting out a tone of I don't like it here.

Intelligence check
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

"What is this darn thing, riddles to open books now a day also?"


'Hmm..it seems like it has some sort of tricks up its sleeves. That is book humour if you didn't notice.' Tusk says with a bit of grumble.

Intelligence Check 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

'Damm, I was never good at these things. I say we wrap it up with the other stuff and head back to the temple as Kip suggested. Stinky's trail is pretty wide and easy to follow. We also know he's surfaced at other spots. We might be better to get ahead of it by getting a hot meal and taking a surface route to where it has last surfaced.'

Lantern Lodge

The book stubbornly refuses to open-- as one clasp opens, the other closes, along with an almost mocking clicking, like a snicker, as the clasps reset every minute or so.

Let me know when you're ready to return to the surface.


Tusk is good for going to the surface if Kip and Caelin are agreeable.

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

"Good. Lets go. I've made marks on my map regarding our path and locations. I recommend we backtrack along our secure route with all these books. Turn them over to the priests or the war-room, review them in a safe location and slower pace. Perhaps Stinky made an apperance above while we explored." Kiptera muses, "Someone had to put iron bars in those cave entrances, and petrified trees with an altar would stand out in my mind."

Kiptera will refresh, eat and coordinate her info with the Church for dungeon delving map updates.


Tusk follows Kiptera to the surface shifting his clothes to make them easier to move in.

He hoped they could find someone who could open the book and help them read some of the lousy penmanship in the other books.

Something large and very stinky was under the streets and it wasn't a wheel of cheese going bad.

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

I'll assume that Caelin follows and doesn't claim squatters rights on the cave campsite

Kiptera loads up the books that she can carry and makes Caelin carry as much. Then she backtracks to the cellar of the ruined and slimed house. From the aroma, it would seem that passage of a few hours does not improve the stink. Fortitude 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
She proceeds directly to the church dungeoneering experts for consulting.
1) Update and share the maps and new link to the surface. When she heads down there again, she wants to know the nearest likely exit, besides the cellar entrance. Who would have an altar/petrified trees and commissioned entrances to be barred?
2) Does the church have any insight (religion/outerplane checks) regarding the altar or the books of chaos (mundane and magical).
3) Open invite for an intereseted acolyte to accompany us. Not really interested, but within character
4) Head back to war-room (with loot) and debrief mayor. Recommend Cellar door be secured to keep ghouls below. Caelin and I can bar the entrance for the night, then re-enter next morning with fresh torches or a sunrod...
5) Refresh/refuel/resupply. Depending on time of day, either plan for tomorrows activities or head back after a bit of research. Tusk can choose differnet spells.

Lantern Lodge

Kiptera Stiresong wrote:

I'll assume that Caelin follows and doesn't claim squatters rights on the cave campsite

Kiptera loads up the books that she can carry and makes Caelin carry as much. Then she backtracks to the cellar of the ruined and slimed house. From the aroma, it would seem that passage of a few hours does not improve the stink. Fortitude 1d20+8
She proceeds directly to the church dungeoneering experts for consulting.

It smells, but by now the nauseating stench has passed. The crowd allows the group to proceed out of the scene of the attack, asking them a few quick and minor questions about what happened as they go.

"Did you find Marshan?"

The streets

Quote:


1) Update and share the maps and new link to the surface. When she heads down there again, she wants to know the nearest likely exit, besides the cellar entrance. Who would have an altar/petrified trees and commissioned entrances to be barred?

An expert on the subterranean catacombs speaks: "Likely, no exit. This place is something that's existed within Carrion Hill for a very, very long time. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been here since the city was built. Likely, the only other entrances lead to equally deep locations-- that'd explain the wandering ghouls. Probably brought in by fresh meat... I would like to say those other entrances lead directly into ghoul warrens. Probably a hundred or more all down there in the darkness..."

Soldier, the Pharasmen priest they had met earlier, steps forward when they ask about the trees. "Petrified trees and an altar? Sounds ritualistic. Maybe magically influenced? Some necromantic rituals sprout necromantic trees as a result of powerful magical backlash-- animating the dead creates skeletons or zombies, and animating dead plants creates petrified wood, so the story goes. Or, it could just be an ornament taken care of by a necromancer once upon a time.
I will tell you this, though-- anyone with a mysterious altar down there has got to be hiding something. Likely a cultist. Did you find any ritualistic or religious markings?"

Quote:


2) Does the church have any insight (religion/outerplane checks) regarding the altar or the books of chaos (mundane and magical).

A small, wiry Pharasmen in thick spectacles named Tobias Llane, along with a group of what seem to be scholars, go over the notes and books extensively once they're allowed to-- but Tobias recognizes the metal-bound book almost instantly.

"By the breadth of the boneyard, it's a Pnakotic manuscript. Let me see if I can get this open," and he takes the book. Producing a set of thieves tools, he's able to spring the book open-- and it's surprising. The book fires open like a hungry animal's mouth, all of the metal clasps at the fore jutting out now like teeth-- when Tobias handles it, a scholar cringes in worry, almost like he's expecting it to clap shut.

The book seems to be written in Aklo-- and as Tobias flips through it, he comes across something that he shows the adventurers. Written across the inside cover in black ink in plain Common are the words: “May we, the Keepers of the Oldest, prevail over
the scourge of simplistic thought and lesser men.”
- Keeper Baskerwhel -
- Keeper Crove -
- Keeper Hyve -
- Keeper Marshan -
- Keeper Myve -

Seeing the names is enough to necessitate 5 Knowledge: (local) checks-- Kiptera shouldn't worry about rolling, because she has no ranks in the skill; who these men are are completely unknown to her.

Common sense alerts both of you that Keeper Marshan is more than likely Marshan, the man who owned the house in Slipper Market.

"Give me a few hours to translate it and I'll figure out if these men played with something they shouldn't have. Meanwhile, we'll figure out if these notes say anything about their identities, location, or means. Once we figure it out, we'll come get you-- so, unless you want to watch, feel free to rest."

Quote:


3) Open invite for an interested acolyte to accompany us. Not really interested, but within character

None of the acolytes seem like they want to put their lives on the line-- the battle-hardened Pharasmen are willing, but many are put off by the story of the creature. All in all, no one volunteers.

Quote:


4) Head back to war-room (with loot) and debrief mayor. Recommend Cellar door be secured to keep ghouls below. Caelin and I can bar the entrance for the night, then re-enter next morning with fresh torches or a sunrod...

Mayor Heggry seems grim at the news, but nods in agreement. He seems slightly relieved that progress is being made, but the knowledge that the monster is still at large seems to worry him. "Whatever you think is best. Once these notes are translated I should be in good enough conscience to give you your fee for the information. I hope you'll stay with the investigation long enough to see the end of it, and your second reward."

Quote:


5) Refresh/refuel/resupply. Depending on time of day, either plan for tomorrows activities or head back after a bit of research. Tusk can choose differnet spells.

Sounds good.


Human (Romandan)

"Well I will call this a day and just report back for now, refresh" as he sniffes around himself "By Erastil I do need refreshing, drink to survival and small victory" as he winks to his companions "and loot of course" as he waits for the answer and follow the logical path set by Kiptera

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

Kiptera takes this time to check on her horse, eat a bit and sitdown to plan her next action with her partners. Before she rests for the night, she would like reassemble a barred door to the cellar, keeping any ghouls below, knowing it would only slow Stinky down for a round. She can use the front goor of Marshan's house, because it is not being used right now... Then at next light, with new torches in hand, fresh rations in backpack, resurvey the route below looking for ghoulish squatters (afterall we did leave bait). "This time we'll take more time looking for arcane symbolism, make impressions copies cuz I ain't the most learned, so thats why I have charcoal, paper and a scroll tube."

Assuming the night went by without incident
She'll eat, stop and consult Soldier, before heading below once again.


We've explored one place in the Slipper's market. I thought that Stinky attacked three locations. Is that correct? If so then we should think of looking at the other two locations before going below again.

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

Yeah, I thought that too. But was aiming for the freshest trail. But, I am good for another route. Am I still fishing with Tusk bait? haha

Lantern Lodge

Kiptera Stiresong wrote:


She'll eat, stop and consult Soldier, before heading below once again.

Kind of embarassing that I just enigmatically had 'the streets' up above-- didn't notice on my final pass. Oh well.

The streets of Carrion Hill are much different than they were last night-- carts and wagons fill the streets as people seem to be emptying their homes of their belongings and setting off out of the city. The urgency of escape fills each person's face as they help their loved ones carry chests or sacks across their backs, everyone heading down and out of the city. It seems to have spread across the entire town-- even some of the nobles in the Crown District are filling carriages and leaving. It's mass exodus in progress, with the Crows standing by and helping people evacuate.

When Kiptera enters the temple of Pharasma, Tobias Llane urgently rushes over carrying an armful of scribbled notes on weathered parchment. "Miss, miss! We've found something. Well, I've found something. It's bad. If you can get the others together and meet us in the library, I can explain. Make haste!"

And, well, assuming everyone gets together rather quickly and comes to the library... easily skippable.

The library is a solemn and empty place, massive bookshelves carved out of the stone of the walls reaching up at least forty feet, almost to the domed and elaborately decorated ceiling bearing a massive fresco of a skeleton being interred into a grave where the ground is only composed of other gleaming white human remains.

Soldier begins: "We were able to confirm with other experienced delvers that the place you visited is a locus of magical power attributed to the Old Gods, named 'The Sunless Grove.'"

"These 'Keepers of the Oldest' were there attempting to open a portal into the Dark Tapestry to summon up a spawn of an Old God to make do their bidding. The section of this Pnakotic Manuscript is covered in annotations in that section-- a well-read section that they were planning on using more than once. I'm guess I'm glad they didn't, but, well, I don't think it'll ever be used again anyways so it is beside the point." Tobias gives a half-smile before returning to the notes. As he speaks, he holds up notes rapidly and quickly, drawing circles across names and sections in the books they had translated, across illustrations of monstrous and terrible creatures.

"The Sunless Grove was once, in fact, used primarily for that reason, long long ago before even the Varisians lived here in Carrion Hill-- almost four-thousand-four-hundred years ago," Tobias explains hurriedly. "Now, these Keepers were hoping to find something willing to share its secrets of magical power with them for a cost. They found something much worse."

"Much worse," one of the intern-scholars parrots from behind Tobias.

"Look at this," and he hands the group a page of notes-- a section is underlined.

"For those who dare to harness such magicks:
Forcing open such portals shall draw forth
the spiritual essence of any who channel into it,
and any entity contacted by this portal may make
hideous use of this essence by consuming it, growing
more powerful in the bargain, such that only the end of
such essence can challenge the intruder’s rights upon
your world.”

A knowledge: arcana can help decipher this if you're unable to get the jist of it.


Tusk looks over the puzzling wording.

'Does this mean what I think it means. These Keepers used themselves as ale cups for some creature and the only way to end this curse it to cut Stinky off from the Kegger?'

Lantern Lodge

Tobias Llane looks as if he doesn't grasp the metaphor and then suddenly nods. "And if the creature were to kill any more of its summoners, its power would continue to grow... Meaning, what we may have thought were random attacks are instead it attempting to find and, well, devour its former masters."

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

Kiptera puzzles this out for a quiet moment. Clearly she is out of her league. "So.... We have the names of a few, probably the dead in the cave, there may be others as associated with the forays aboveground. Could we not remove or destroy or desecrate the locus to prevent its use in the future? Then move on to hunting others named in the book? I'd like to pay them or their residence a visit. Perhaps setup a welcoming committee during the next summoning attempt." She looks at the shocked faces around her. "What?! Oh I aint staying and fighting, just want to "discuss" religion with the summoner and a looksee at what we're facing. Then I am skedaddling outa there."


Okay, so according to the names in these here books. Who are the members of the group, 'the Keepers' and where do they live in this city?

I have a feeling some Orc justice is about to be had. Orcs don't have a wide variety of punishments. Well, okay, they do have a wide variety but they all end with the same thing. Death to the guilty.

Lantern Lodge

Soldier smirks at Kiptera's comments. "I'm not sure they'd be so friendly, but you're welcome to try."

Tobias opens the Pnakotic Manuscript and shows the inside cover to Tusk again.

“May we, the Keepers of the Oldest, prevail over
the scourge of simplistic thought and lesser men.”
- Keeper Baskerwhel -
- Keeper Crove -
- Keeper Hyve -
- Keeper Marshan -
- Keeper Myve -

"I don't know where they live-- I don't have a registry, nor, well, do I get out much. Mayor Heggry probably has one on hand."

If you have Knowledge: Local, four checks are in order. You know Keeper Marshan lived in the shop above the Sunless Grove.


DM Titan wrote:


If you have Knowledge: Local, four checks are in order. You know Keeper Marshan lived in the shop above the Sunless Grove.

Local rolls:

Knowledge Local +5 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Knowledge Local +5 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Knowledge Local +5 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Knowledge Local +5 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Oh my god! That is like legendary! 3 20s out of 4 rolls!


Any word on these rolls?

The Exchange

Female Dwarf Wizard 1

"Ain't too worried about that, I figure we'll ask the mayor. Get location and directions, and pay them a visit. The Crows are likely too busy keeping the peace, Hopefully we'll find someone in the know at town hall. Otherwise, Lets get splash holy water on the altar and check out the rest of the case system or enter through the sewers which quite frankly does not appeal to me." Kiptera mumbles somehting about "orc justice needing Dwarven backup, whodathunkit?"


Should I consider this thread abandoned by the GM? He, he, just my luck to throw 3 20s in four rolls and have the GM abandon the game.

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