[IC Thread] Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[Paramour Pink]

“Celia Kristina,” she answered tersely, turning her head towards the man that introduced himself, Celia showing she wasn't a pawn to answer to the time-wasting woman's.

“I threatened a monster I thought slaughtered people when his kind are known for such atrocities, and I lowered my weapon when I realized he had not. My plan,” she said that much more tensely, barely managing to keep her temper from her tone. “Was to use the knowledge of this creature as not only a guide, but a source against an enemy he understands better than we do.”

She scowled as she said, “I offered protection to anyone heading in my direction; not a damn thing else, but still a handful more than yourself. But I insisted we move tonight because we're clearly in lycanthrope hunting grounds. We could never rest here until morning. I then requested that we take Bevonte's suggestion, and try to find survivors before we do. And I fully intend to torch this entire town afterwards, if it means keeping these corpses from becoming would-be wolves that bite us in the ass. So there you have it: my plan. Are you pleased, you short-sighted, selfish, bureaucrat?”

[Daimbert]

Alexia

OOC - Going to try to leave placeholders here, and move things along as well.

IC -

Alexia basically ignored Celia's explanation, and turned to the others. "And what's your name?" she asked, turning to the woman with green eyes (OOC - Assuming Eldant).

After the halfling had introduced himself, she said, "Okay, now Peter wants to look for survivors and I'm pretty good at tracking and have Hymie here, so why don't we go look for some? Ark, Celia here seems to think that you know something about the situation, so why don't you stay here and try to figure out what's happened, so that we know which way to duck? Eldant and Beretor, just do whichever you think best suits you, or something else if you think it's useful; I don't really know what you want to do or are best at. Celia, well, why don't you just stay here and be impatient? Sounds good to everyone? We'll just all meet up back here when we're ready and decide where to go from here"

"Celia, how much time do you want to give me and Peter to get back before it REALLY gets too dangerous to stay?"

[Inspectre]

Peter wrinkled his brow in confusion.

"I'll admit I'm not an expert on werewolves, but if we are in the midst of their hunting grounds, which isn't a bad assumption given the wreckage of the inn, why are we traveling at night? Outside at night we are greatly exposed, and unable to see danger approaching beyond the light of our torches, which can be seen from a great distance. Or if we don't use torches, we are at an even greater disadvantage due to being nearly blind should something find us anyway. Why isn't it a better idea to enter one of the other residences here, and assuming the owner is still alive, barricade it with their permission until morning? Then we have a defensive position and these beasts will have to come to us. And if these werewolves are responsible for this massacre, I for one welcome the chance to avenge the fallen."

[ixious]

Looking at the young man, a bit frustrated. "Because anyone left alive in their path either has been infected, or works with them, so either way we sleep in the presence of enemies. I can keep watch if you must rest, but I suggest we burn these bodies, and any body we find in this area, there will be plenty of food in other towns."

Catching himself after the last part, he looks down at the table, the bodies, and then the people around him. Maybe they didn't notice

[Paramour Pink]

Celia Kristina

“So you demand my plan, and promptly ignore it. And then call me impatient for not wanting to linger in the land of a brutal creature?”

Celia looked bewildered, shaking her head. She exhaled a particularly frustrated breath. Closing her eyes as though to shut out the sheer aggravating sight of the time wasting woman, the irritated teen opened her blue eyes seconds later with a forced, impassive gaze.

“Enough. Just be quick.”

On hearing the objection of the blonde warrior, her voice rose, but it cracked slightly underneath a now mounting fear that they were wasting far too much time. “Do you think I delight in marching when lycanthropes will be active?”

She swallowed, giving her voice a chance to retain itself. After a moment, she said with a more even tone, “This is the epicentre of a slaughter. I suggest against staying the night because of those bodies. The dead attract even ordinary wild animals, and the closer to them we are, the more likely a wolf might pick up on our scent.

“But if you can find someone that's managed to successfully barricade themselves in, when this town looks too poor to afford any abundance of silver, I won't argue against a safe haven for the night. Hopefully, they might let us in. Frankly, I'm just not sure how anyone could survive after seeing,” her voice trailed, and she grimaced again at the thought.

“It seems our specialist agrees with the idea of turning this place into kindling.”

Celia gave a wry but depleted smile, feeling oddly reassured that she had the gnoll's support. “This place is unlikely to yield much in terms of safety. But you can argue that after you've checked the insides of these houses for survivors.”

[Daimbert]

Alexia

Privately, Alexia agreed with Peter's plan. even if they didn't find a live owner. Bodies could always be burned. Or even Eldant's, although she wasn't sure that stealth was a better protection than barricades.

However, there wasn't any point in deciding that now.

"Okay, so we'll make the final call after we see what's going on in the rest of the village. So, Peter, I guess we should be off! Anyone else coming?"

Calling Hymie to her side, she stepped up to Peter and started for the door.

[Holocron Coder]

"My name is Eldant. I am a student and natural practitioner of the arcane. My surname matters little at this point," the green-eyed woman claims, in response to the query.

"As a note of less hysterical tone, we have before us this: an inn, slaughtered of residents, but giving the illusion of merriment." She glances at the building, attempting to pierce any illusions it may have as she continues. "Possibly caused by lycanthropes, or possibly by any other suitably dangerous creature or group. And we have a town of some number of residents that we have no idea the number of nor the location."

She looks at the group and tilts her head in contemplation, "As others have suggested, I can only suggest a brief attempt at finding survivors before setting fire to the buildings and setting up a secure camp for the night a short distance away. Short being within sight, but easily hidden."

"On another note, I suggest we cease our bickering if we wish to not be slaughtered by a single errant foe," Eldant comments. "What we do after this night can be decided at such a point."

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Inspectre]

"It would appear that we are in agreement a quick sweep of the town is in order then. If we split up we can cover more ground quickly. I will accompany Alexia. The rest of you are free to do as you wish, whether that is to aid in the search or remain here. Alexia and I will meet up with you here within an hour. Assume the worst if we're not back by then. Do we have anything else that needs to be discussed right now?"

Peter examines the other members of the band, and then leans in close to Alexia.

"I'm not particularly good at searching save for calling out in an attempt to earn a response, which I doubt is wise in this situation. I hope you have a better idea - I will watch your back."

[ixious]

Looking concerned "We are burning the bodies right? The smell will be quite bad so trying to camp near here is going to be uncomfortable to say the least. we would need to stay upwind to avoid the smell, but we would then be possibly upwind of any enemy that may come lured by that smell, and then drawn to ours."

[Holocron Coder]

Eldant nods and steps over to join Peter and Alexia. "I will assist how I may. I have little prepared to deal with any sort of search, but another pair of eyes is always useful."

She ponders for a moment before adding, "If we do run into some sort of trouble, I can send up a signal."

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She is talking about the Flare spell, which she can cast up into the air as a burst of light.. essentially like an actual flaregun. It's about the only real utility spell she has prepared or known at the moment.

[Rathgar]

Bereter

"I apologize for being so silent, but my mind was trying to wrap itself around the gruesome nature of what has happened here. I'm Bereter. Just Bereter. I'm a servant of the goddess Lirr and seeker of the arts.

"I think that it is a capitol idea to go and attempt to find any survivors. No need to have anyone left in town suffer the same fate as these. First, we should set this building ablaze, that those within might not come back as some horrid abomination. Let me collect any pieces of art before we leave, for that is my most solemn duty to Lirr. We must hurry, though, for we do not have the time to waste."

After saying this, the halfling turns on his innate ability to detect those things which are magical and starts searching both for clues of what exactly has caused this and to see if there is any artwork left behind for him to save, as are his holy orders.

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Bereter will use his Detect Magic Spell-Like Ability. Also, some skill checks I should have done earlier.
Knowledge (Religion) to possibly confirm the nature of what killed these people: (1d20+9)[12]
Knowledge (Arcana) for the same reason: (1d20+7)[20]
Heal for the same reason (trying to identify based on the wounds left): (1d20+3)[17]
Knowledge (Religion) to determine whether or not burning will stop whatever bad might happen: (1d20+9)[23]
Knowledge (Arcana) for the same reason: [roll]1d2-+7[/roll]
Heal to determine how long they've been dead: (1d20+3)[7]
Search for artwork: (1d20+2)[7]
Spellcraft to determine what is causing the laughter outside: (1d20+7)[10]

[Daimbert]

Alexia

Alexia smiled at Eldant and Bereter as they all started out the door. She replied to Peter, "Well, I don't think searching's going to be that important, since things probably won't be hidden that carefully if there's a surviver. I mean, people are pretty big, right? And living out in the wild gives you a decent ability to see and hear things. So we'll walk around, go inside any building we can, look inside the other buildings, and investigate anything that we see or hear out of the ordinary or that Hymie manages to root out. Sound good? I think it's about the best we can do, but it's probably worth the effort."

[ZeroNumerous]

Looting The Homes of The Recently Dead

No one is in the village as it seems everyone was out at the inn/bar when whatever it was struck. The village is as poor as it's choice of location and aside from sixty copper and several barrels of wheat there is no wealth in the village.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

After about an hour of rummaging and finding nothing, the party gathers around the inn to set it on fire. The pyre is easy to start and quick to burn the entire structure down to little more than ashes. Afterward, your motley crew heads eastward along the road toward the township of Barovia, namesake of the country of Barovia. Black pools of rainwater stand stagnating on the side of the muddy road. Each one reflects light skyward like a dark mirror. A pall of thick, cold mist spreads across the ground and seems to roll toward the west from the east. Giant trees turned giant shadows stand silent guards on each side of the path-turned-mud. Their leafless branches crawl at the mist in the wind almost as if they were living. The mist grows thicker and the forest seems more dangerous the further east you travel.

[Paramour Pink]

Celia Kristina

During the journey, Celia arranged herself towards the front of the group, but always behind the gnoll. The hyena humanoid may have been an unusually tame for his kind, but she wasn't about to foolishly turn her back on him. When the carpet of mist began creeping in and visibility started dying further, she suggested they make camp.

“It seems darker from here on in, but I haven't heard much in the way of wolf calls. We should start thinking about pitching tents and posting sentries.”

“Unless,” she looked to the group then, but glanced at the knowledgable gnoll in particular, “one of us can think a good reason we shouldn't rest in this place?”

[Daimbert]

Alexia

"Hymie and me can take first watch, if we're stopping here".

[ixious]

Looking around carefully* Gr'Ark nods his head. "The rain has washed much of our scent off, if we can go without a fire tonight I believe we will be ok stopping here. I will check the area during first watch for food and clean water. I am far from tired yet, and this area is just as far from safe. Anything but another child of Him would flee seeing me, so hopefully I can act as a..what do you call it...scarecrow, yes, of anything that may be around."

Taking off his cloak* and laying it over his sack, everyone now can see just how wirey and mangled Gr'Ark is. He keeps his fur short, groomed, but the heat of the cloak has left a sheen of sweat matting it. He wears no "shirt" per se, and his "pants" would be best described as a loincloth sewed together at the bottom made of the hides of deer and some other undetermined animal. He has a jagged right ear and a noticable scar on his left haunch."This should scare off anything around camp. I will stay close."








Rolls:

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Spot:
(d20+8)[9]
Dur de Dur! I found my left toe...it is big.....


Listen:
(d20+8)[26]

Survival:
(d20+3)[14]

yes, I know I am now at -1 to my saves until I put it back on..there is a story reason, I assume like this I have a certain degree of "diplomacy" with anything evil, and "intimidation" of anything neutral but destructive.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

It takes only a scant few minutes to find food and water, but the food consists of a handful of berries while the water consists only of the stagnant pools standing near the muddy road. While edible and drinkable, none of it is truly nourishing.

[ixious]

OOC:

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that isn't food to Gr'Ark, I am talking about dead bodies, devout carrion eater who tends to forget his party members arn't.

[Inspectre]

Peter watches the inn-turned-pyre for long enough to ensure that while it would consume everything in the building, it would not likewise create a wild fire. Before leaving, he shoots a sideways glance at Celia, smirking as he remembers her warning.

"May all of your souls find their eternal resting places so you may know peace. You shall be avenged." He prays, and then turns away from the burning inn and finishes preparations to leave town.

Once the group decided to stop tonight, Peter produced a waterskin and set of trail rations from his pack. "I have a few more rations should anyone be without food. They're not what I would call tasteful, but they are filling nonetheless."

Looking around at the stagnant water pools, Peter decided to simply finish what was in his waterskin for tonight. Perhaps tomorrow he would devise a way to refill it using his blessing to create water.

Finished with his meal, Peter produces his bedroll and winter blanket, hoping to find a somewhat dry spot to bed down. "I'll take the last watch. Good night."

[Holocron Coder]

After their fruitless search and subsequent burning of the inn, Eldant keeps with the group in their travels east. She noticeably sticks near the center of the group until they reach their destination camp.

Setting up a spot on the ground, she pulls out a ration packet from her bag and nibbles at the mostly unappetizing food. The conversation seemingly light, she curls up to sleep for the night, using her arms as pillows.

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Going to keep the same prepared spell selection for tomorrow. Unless any characters have alternate suggestions.

[Daimbert]

Alexia

"I've got plenty of food if others don't have anything. It's mostly cheese, bread and dried/prepared meat, but I have plenty to share."

As they were setting up, Alexia simply set out her bedroll and then sat down to eat. She broke off some bread from a loaf, sliced out a bit of cheese and some meat, and placed it all between the bread as a sandwich. She gave the last half to Hymie, fed from her hand. "Yeah, you were hungry, weren'tcha boy?". She repeated it for another round, finishing off the loaf of bread. She could still have eaten more, but she didn't want to be completely full right before standing watch; she'd wait for breakfast the next morning.

[Rathgar]

Bereter

The halfling reached into his backpack and pulled out a brown tent that looked much to large to fit. As he erected the tent, Bereter began to sing a song under his breath. Though those who were near him could make out the tune, they couldn't make out the words he sang. Then, suddenly, the brightly dressed halfling began to talk to the party. "I guess that I shall take third watch, then. Although I have to warn you, I'm not the best person at watching out for things."

Soon, the tent was erected and Bereter refocused his inborn arcane talents so that he wouldn't be without them if something happened in the middle of the night.

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Bereter casts the Invocations See the Unseen and Spiderwalk.

[ZeroNumerous]

During the night

The first watch is uneventful at most. The smell of rain is overpowering both Hymie and Gr'Ark's noses. Their enhanced ears and eyes only picks up the constant drip of rain off soaked and barren branches. Second watch is much the same, but near the end of the second watch the mist thickens and nearly blots out the evening sky entirely. It is, however, with third watch that things go poorly. Bereter stands in the center of camp calmly watching the ever-thickening mist when a loud and angry howl splits the calm night in twain. It is quickly joined by a second, third, then fourth howl as dark and massive forms appear in the mist barreling toward the camp.

[Daimbert]

Alexia

OOC - Since my actual attack round will come late in the sequence, I'll post that up later, but I'll post the initial reaction now because it contains directions for what Hymie is going to do. Do I roll initiative for him, too, BTW?

IC -

Alexia stumbled a bit blearily to her feet at the cries. She had been dreaming, and waking up while dreaming always caused her to be a bit slow a first. But she noticed the forms charging out of the mist fairly quickly, and after only a small amount of thought knew what had to happen.

"Hymie, stick close to Eldant". She knew that Eldant was both the most likely to be able to use spells to end this quickly and was probably the least likely to survive attacks; Hymie was better used helping Eldant than sticking with his master. And it would also get him out of the way; she didn't want to lose him, too.

Hymie, however, simply look at her, puzzled. "Go!" she commanded, and Hymie finally turned and headed over towards Eldant.

There was no time to put on her armour, but she'd started out without armour and could probably handle one fight without it. She drew her bow and nocked and arrow, and basically just aimed out towards the nearest shapes she could see.

[Rathgar]

Bereter
38/38 HP, Initiative 4
AC 18, Touch 13, Flat Footed 16

Upon hearing the howl, Bereter yelled to the rest of the party in order to wake up any who were not awoken by the howl. "Everyone, to arms! 'Twould appear those lupine blokes have found their supper if we don't act fast!" The halfling then went on the lookout to see if they were attacking and what direction they were attacking from, so that they could feel the wrath of his arcane fury.

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Readying an action to shoot the first one I see with an Eldritch Blast.
Attack with Eldritch Blast: (1d20+6)[25] Ranged Touch
Damage with Eldritch Blast: (2d6)[5] Magic Spell Resistance applies

[ixious]

Grr'ark Ark'uroloau'aou
43/43 HP, Initiative 17
AC 19, Touch 18, Flat Footed 13

Jumping up, cloak flying, Grr'ark pulls the silver chain from around his neck, and quickly wraps it around his left fist, taking a step in front of the group, he begins making a cackling sound from his barely open mouth.


OOC:

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here is the break down,

"Stand up" (assuming move action)
"Draw Weapon" (standard action IF you allow this)
"5 foot step" (free if i remember correct)
Cackle
which is either an Intimidate, Diplomacy, or Bluff check for the mobs
(d20)[14] plus any modifiers you may want to throw in.

Now technically since it is one of those checks, the cackle is a standard action, which puts me at 2 standard actions, a move action, and an assumed free action, ....issues....

If need be, neglect the equipping the silver chain since I do not even know if you will let that "fly" as me still being unarmed. Silver has 10 hit points per inch of thickness (so this chain is 2 feet of 1/2" wide, so 5hp to break the chain, thus forcing me to take a standard action to wrap it back around, and hardness 8. I am at a -1 to damage rolls with it around my fist. IF AND ONLY IF you still consider me unarmed wielding it around my fist, I will let you decide how it affects DR. If not, forget that part, he has it around his neck loosely, and i am good on actions.

Oh and if spot is a free action:
(d20+8)[13]
Darkvision 60 feet

[Holocron Coder]

HP: 14/14; Init: 14
AC: 18; Touch: 13; Flat-footed: 16

Eldant reacts relatively quickly to the intrusion to their camp. Standing from her prone position, she retrieves a strip of cured leather from a pouch at her side and mutters a few quick words under her breath, gesturing in front of her in a pecular faction. A glimmer sheen appears around her, forming the vague shape of luminescent armor.

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Move - Stand
Standard - Cast Mage Armor. AC already figured into the numbers above.

[ZeroNumerous]

Werewolves

The shapes multiply as they draw closer toward the camp. More and more hulking man-sized monstrosities become apparent in the mist's enveloping embrace. You can't make out any appearances quite yet, but you can see them circling the camp plain as day.

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Map:
A - Alexia
B - Bereter
C - Celia
E - Eldant
G - Gr'Ark
P - Peter

Peach: Muddy Road
Light Brown: Mud
Dark Brown: Trees
Light Gray: Mist
Dark Gray: Werewolf shapes

Initiative: Everyone above a 4 - Werewolves: 4.

The werewolves are in total cover due to the mist, so you can't attack or target them without moving in closer.

[Inspectre]

Awakened by the others' cries and the approach of the wolfmen, Peter struggled to wipe the sleep from his eyes as he cast his eyes about for a suitable weapon.

"What do these creatures most fear?" He roars as he prepares to pick up the appropriate weapon.

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Move Action to Stand Up I guess. Then a Standard to either pick up his magic Spiked chain, or draw his silver longsword/cold iron mace from the Handysack (which is also a move action).