Thank you! Thank you! You are too kind! No, that's too much, that's too much! says Perlivash feigning modesty.
Tyg seems to turn slightly red with embarrassment at the applause. Good sirs, what brings you back to this part of the forest? she asks to deflect attention.
During our travels, we came to know of a cursed temple, once dedicated to Eristil, that lies on the other side of the Thorn River. As strange as it may sound, we need to get to this temple, but have not yet found a suitable place to cross the river. We are hoping that with your knowledge of the land, you can help us find a place to cross safely.
As Haplo brings the conversation back to more serious matters, you see that Perlivash quickly loses interest and starts wandering around camp looking into people's backpacks.
I believe you speak of the Temple of the Elk which lies forgotten in the depths of this forest. says Tyg.
The overgrown temple, which is surrounded by numerous thorny plants, can be found in a clearing 12 miles southwest of here. The western face of the clearing is dominated by a looming, upthrust ridge of rock. The side of this towering boulder facing the clearing has been carved in the likeness of an immense elk, its antlers drooping down from its weathered face to frame a cave entrance. A flight of stone steps leads up to this cave entrance from the forest clearing—both the steps and elk face feel quite old and are thickly encrusted with layers of moss. An oval pool sits in the middle of the clearing, its waters thick with algae. The water in the pool is foul and stagnant. The guardian of the Elk, an insane grizzly bear, attacks anything that comes near the temple. An old chipmunk friend once told me a legend about the temple and it's guardian, but I cannot remember it at the moment.
Oh, I've heard the legend of the Temple of the Elk!!! squeals Perlivash from a corner of the campsite.
The faerie dragon flies over and lands on a tree stump near the campfire. Straightening up ceremoniously, he peers dramatically at the group, and then begins to speak:
Once a small but well-tended shrine to Erastil, the Temple of the Elk has stood abandoned for many years since Taldor’s last attempt to occupy this region. Unfortunately, the last keeper of the shrine went a little mad after he finally admitted to himself that the indigenous tribes of trolls, savage humanoids, and other monsters had “won” and would drive the Taldan colonists out. Frustrated, the cleric lured a large bear to the temple and sacrificed it in the name of “any who would answer the call” to aid against the humanoids. His lack of faith in Erastil proved his undoing, and the god of the hunt drove the priest mad, and stripped him of his abilities and even his humanity. The mad priest became a large grizzly bear to replace the one whose life he had sacrificed, and Erastil granted him immortality in his new form but not enough intellect to make much of it, forcing him to remain at the site as a guardian until someone worthy of Erastil could come to lift the curse.
The camp falls into silence following Perlivash's tale.
That more or less matches what I had heard, although in the Chipmunk's version, the priest had actually betrayed Erastil and joined forces with the trolls. says Tyg after a few moments.
Well, who are you going to believe, an all-powerful and all-wise dragon or a SENILE SQUIRREL?!? roars Perlivash irritably. He slinks away from the group beyond the campfire light, shaking his head and muttering to himself, Chipmunks! Always exaggerating!
Doing her best to ignore him, Tyg continues:
With regards to your question about crossing Thorn river, there is no functioning bridge in the forest but you can cross easily to the West of here where the river begins. If you journey Southwest of there, you will come to some Hot Springs and the beginning of Skunk River, which winds its way in the forest to the South.
Also I would be careful when exploring the glade to the Northwest of here as a despicable hunter has filled it with traps, she adds looking worriedly in the direction in which Perlivash left. Oh, I better go after him. He can be so sensitive sometimes. Goodnight everyone!
Gets clearly excited
(In Sylvan) Thank you again for your sage counsel. We are beyond grateful, for information such as this is priceless.
Turns to the others
Let's get going! This time...so we don't get killed by another animal...I'm going to prepare some spells that will hopefully make some things a little easier...
Easier is something I think we could all do with right now. Do what you can.
Let's all get some well-needed rest. With any luck, we'll get to morning without incident. I feel as though this evening is a sign of good things to come.
The night passes without incident.
You...
The group travels west and spends most of the day exploring this area. To the West and North-west the Narlmarch forest seems to end and plains stretch out as far as the eye can see. You find a shallow crossing where Thorn River begins and then start exploring the Southern bank of the river.
As the day draws to an end and you see what appears to be a dead body lying under several large logs.
You...
Lior moves his hands quickly and mutters a few words after getting something small out of a little pouch on his belt. All of a sudden, he appears almost imperceptibly brighter, more resilient.
He then approaches to about twenty feet and looks around, assessing the situation, and whether anything looks like a trap. He peers carefully at the body to see if he can recognize who - or what - it is.
[ooc] Perception check? If so, [ooc]
Anything interesting Lior?
As you approach you see that the body is that of a burly human dressed in skins and furs like a trapper or hunter.
It appears that the unfortunate trapper was attempting to rig a deadfall here, along the South bank of the Thorn River, when his half-completed trap collapsed on him. He was pinned to the ground by the several large logs that came tumbling down. You see that the trapper's hatchet is stuck in the stump of a tree a few feet from his dead body's outstretched arm.
Get out of the way for a sec Lior. Let me look at this mess.
Knowledge [engineering] :
Get out of the way for a sec Lior. Let me look at this mess.
Knowledge [engineering] : 1d20 + 8 = 10
You see that the rope that was meant to hold up the logs of the deadfall trap broke, thus leading to the trapper's unfortunate fate.
You cannot tell if the rope snapped by itself, if it was cut or if there was any other foul play involved.
Mmmm. Seems that the rope broke. I'm too tired to see if it snapped by itself... don't care much either.
Couldn't we have found a nice Inn instead of this dead idiot?
You know what?! I wouldn't be surprised that those two tiny midget freaks would be responsible for this. We really have to be careful around those two. I don't trust them one bit.
1d20 + 9 = 18
The trapper's body seems well-preserved. His face which has an old scar running down the left side of his face seems oddly familiar. For an moment you cannot quite place it and then it comes to you that aside from his scar, this man bears an uncanny resemblance to the hunter Grim Orlivanch, whom you met at Oleg's a few days ago.
As the group stands solemnly over the trapper's dead body, a cold wind blows through the area. The light of day is fast escaping and you realize that you will soon have to make camp.
You...
I guess we found his brother. Should we see if he has anything on him that we could bring back to Orlivanch as a memento? What was it that he wrote in the letter...that he forgave him or something?
I'm going to make a 'Charm Animal' scroll.
Spellcraft
As Lior makes a quick hand movement after scribing some unintelligible script on the heavy vellum paper, there is a flash of light, and he jumps backward, surprised.
critical Spellcraft roll
He is lightly conked on the head by three other scrolls that fall out of the sky.
Lior picks up the other scrolls but realizes that they are in fact wriggling snakes. As he drops them back to the ground, he hears a voice from overhead.
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogoves, and the momeraths outgrabe."
Then Lior sees a pink and purple cheshire cat appear in a tree.
"Loose something?" it asks before disappearing.
Then Lior is rooted in place as gigantic rainbow colored heads burst from the grounds and carry him up, up, up...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7F2X3rSSCU
--------------------
Meanwhile, back at the camp, the rest of the group moves on with their business ignoring Lior who has been standing motionless with drool rolling down his chin and a half-smoked a roll of "herbs" from Bokken's hut in his left hand.
"That's some good sh..." he mouths silently to no one in particular as his eyes start to water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI
We need to bury him, at least after we check him for something to take back to Oleg's. Then we should find a space to camp in.
You free the trapper's body from underneath the logs. The trapper does not have anything of value or special significance on his body, however the hatchet stuck in a nearby stump looks quite nice and distinct. As you observe it more closely, you think it might be a masterwork handaxe. You put it in your pack to take back to Oleg's.
The group buries the trapper's body as best it can in the cold hard earth near the Southern bank of Thorn River.
You move on and soon find a suitable spot to make camp.
[ooc] What Rolecks doesn't know is that Bill and Lior are actually best buddies. This is all one big lie. One day they plan to double cross you guys and steal all your stuff (kinda like the WWE when a good guy all of a sudden double crosses his partner and joins the evil faction) Gooooooooo Spellcasters! [/occ]
Lior blinks, wipes the drool off his chin, and drops the charred remains of his medicinal herbs.
starts goose-steppingI guess we're going to the temple...then perhaps we'll get a break from the never-ending wisecracking voice-overs...
Hey-o.
The night passes without incident.
Pharast 10th 4708 AR: Journey to the Temple of the Elk
The group packs up camp in anticipation for the day's journey.
Lior wakes up, steps out of his bedroll, and shakes his head, annoyed at having forgotten to use his cure light wounds spell the day before. He packs up quickly, efficiently, has a bite of bread, and looks at the others.
I'm ready to go, says quietly
Haplo yawns and rises from his seat under a nearby tree. He grins at Lior, recalling yesterday's incident.
Ready.
The group sets off to the South East. You spend most of the day exploring and map out most the area and finding little of interest until the end of the afternoon.
As the sun is riding low in the sky, the thick tangle of brambles gives way into a large clearing in the woods, its border partially defined by ruined stone pillars. The western face of the clearing is dominated by a looming, upthrust ridge of rock, nearly 300 feet across and rising to a moss-topped height of 100 feet at the center. The side of this towering boulder facing the clearing has been carved in the likeness of an immense elk, its antlers drooping down from its weathered face to frame a 50-footwide cave entrance. A flight of stone steps leads up to this cave entrance from the forest clearing—both the steps and elk face feel quite old and are thickly encrusted with layers of moss. A 50-foot-long oval pool sits in the middle of the clearing, its waters thick with algae.
As the group steps into the edge of the clearing, you hear a rumble from the cave followed by a bellowing roar. Something big has stirred. From your vantage you still cannot see the beast, but you are certain that it is aware of your presence.
1d20+3
1st - Rolecks (and Midna)
2nd - Bill
3rd - The Guardian
4th - Haplo
5th - Lior
Guardian! We've come to restore safe passage to this temple. It's my wish that this be done peacefully. I'd rather not have to harm you, but if you give us cause to fight, we will be the ones to end it.
The beast issues another growl, but you sense that you have affected it somehow.
Following the defeat of the Guardian, the Temple of the Elk seems to grow more vibrant and colorful. The water of the pool becomes crystal clear and all of you are healed after drinking it.
You decide to set up camp in the shrine. The night passes without incident.
Pharast 11th 4708 AR
The group wakes at sunrise and prepares to leave the temple. As you stand in the courtyard, discussing where to go next, you notice that the day seems significantly warmer than yesterday, as if the cloak of winter has been partly lifted from this section of the woods.
The group travels West and spends most of the day exploring that section of the Narlmarch forest. You find that two hot springs bubble at the source of the Skunk River, filling the surrounding area with the distinctive odor of rotten eggs.
The 150-foot-diameter pond at the river's source seems to be the home of a pair of giant frogs, and as you approach, the creatures become very aggressive.