(PF) maggie's Rise of the Runelords: Hook Mountain Massacre IC

[maggie_mcknife]

Red

Spoiler

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Red's Perception check: (1d20+12)[30] +2 for Trapfinding = 32 - found

Almost squeaking aloud at the sudden bang and thud of a body hitting the floor in the room beyond, Red whirls, gazing wide-eyed at the door she knows to be trapped. Gods damn it, it was Setsuna in that room, wasn't it? (At least, she hoped it was. A secret bigfolk suddenly popping up now would be awful.)

Come on. There must be one somewhere.Frantically scanning the doorway and its frame, Red belatedly espies the hidden alcove in the wall panelling, its covering disguised with smears of dirt. Prying her nails into the soft wood, she almost rips the plank loose of its rusty hinge in her haste, promptly yanking the crude lever within before Shalelu can say a word. Almost immediately, there is the faint metallic whisper of uncoiling springs, the wooden jam of the door shuddering as something deep in the walls comes loose.

"I daresay that spotting that lever might have been useful a minute earlier. We could have stopped the other two from... well, doing whatever it is they're doing over there." Shalelu eyes the door carefully, one eyebrow quirked as she remarks drily on Red's accomplishment. "Come on then, Red. Let's go see what new horror awaits on the other side of the door."

*****

GM post

Heal DC 15

Spoiler

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It's difficult to be precise, but the head on the table is probably a recent addition. Though the air is thick with flies, you note that there aren't any maggots worming through the flesh just yet. Based on the pallid bluish cast of what skin you can glimpse through the mob of flies and the obscuring curtain of hair, the owner of this head was probably only slain within a day or so.

Aside from the head on the table, there is little of note in this room, save for a third closed door on the far end of the room. Mercifully, this one seems to be lacking a scythe trap. However, as you turn your head to watch Shalelu and Red warily tread in from the first door, you can't help but wonder where all these flies seem to be coming from...

*****

Map

[jamieth]

Naya
HP 24/24
AC 15

Catching a breath, Naya tries to imagine the house plan. That door on the other side of the terrible dining room... a good chance it might lead to the room Brin peeked into earlier. And even though the sylph is not quite ready to go inside again just yet, there's no harm in at least checking from outside...

She hurries towards the window Brin was using before, ready - or, at least, she hopes she's ready - for the flies' assault, quickly whispering a spell for reading auras...

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

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Jamie, I assume Naya's casting Detect Magic?

Brin certainly hadn't lied about the smell from the room. Even through the crack in the boards, the merest whiff of whatever foul air within literally causes the nostrils to tingle, seared by foul, musty rankness. Carefully positioning herself to avoid any flies exiting the room from zipping into her eyes, Naya makes the gestures of power and waits, hoping for something to resolve in her mind's eye.

However, as the seconds crawl by, nothing materialises. It becomes clear to the sylph that there is nothing magical within the hidden room. Though as the sweat trickles down her neck and the stray flies that have gathered to buzz merrily about her face, she might perhaps be willing to bet on the bloody insects have been cursed to annoy her to death.

[Desril]

Setsuna

Still recovering from nearly being cut in half, Setsuna wasn't even as observant as usual, which was saying quite a bit as she looked around, looking for a sign of anything useful. "Naya? Do you see anything?"

[jamieth]

"N-nothing, miss Setsuna..." Naya shakes her head, "Certainly no magic, just... tons and tons of flies... But... that doesn't make sense... is there any more of the house that we haven't checked yet? By my estimate, this should be the last room we haven't checked yet..."

Spoiler: OOC

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I don't think Naya saw the stairs in the first place, actually

[Desril]

Setsuna

"As much as I would like to be done here...there were windows on the second floor. There must be a way up, and there may be a basement too," Setsuna says, sighing. She very much wanted to be out of here, but there was still the chance that there was a survivor here...and they needed to find Shalelu's ring.

[jamieth]

"Ohh... right... second floor... OK, wait for me, I think I'll be fine now..." Naya jumps down off the window and makes her way back inside the house... hopefully now that she knows what to expect, the sight would be more bearable. "Well, miss Setsuna... last room?" she forces a smile, "You're right, we can't afford to leave this unfinished...

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Entering the last(?) undiscovered room - also, I believe at this point, only Red did see the stairs marked as "1"?

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

Spoiler: @jamie

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Well, all the PCs were in that corridor at one point. I'll have to assume that everyone was too intent searching the rooms that they neglected to look for the basement stairs.

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Red's Heal check: (1d20+2)[20] - passed

Shalelu frowns at the severed head adorning the table, then sniffs before briskly striding across the room and offering a hand to Setsuna to assist her in getting up. "I do say, Setsuna. That's one way to spring a trapped door. If there are any Grauls left in this house, they definitely know we're here now. You're not hurt, are you?"

"... The h-head. It is... um. W-was only dead... r-recently. M-maybe it was one of... the B-black Arrows..." offers Red from somewhere behind Shalelu. She blinks as she leans in closer to examine the head, only to abruptly flinch away from the table as if scalded by hot water, gazing down at the gruesome tablecloth in horror.

*****

The handle of the third door is oddly smooth to the touch, its pitted surface cool on your skin as you take a firm hold and cautiously lean back, letting your weight slowly swing the door open.

The rotting meat stench that billows forth as you open the door is possibly the worst that you've smelt in the house so far. Possibly the worst that you've smelt in your life. Ducking to avoid a small host of flies that zip out by your head, you peer into the room beyond.

This musty chamber before you reeks of blood and rancid weeks-old meat, the air in it thick with clouds of fat, greasy flies. Breathing as lightly as you can in a futile bid to block the smell (and to avoid accidentally inhaling flies), you spot thumb-sized cockroaches that have been spooked by your approach, scurrying rapidly out of sight into crevices along the walls and floor. A thick butcher’s block sits under three cruel-looking cleavers that hang on a rack above. Bloodstained smocks of thick leather, one still dripping fresh gore, hang on bone-spur hooks by a closed door in the north wall of the room.

The chief source of the smell appears to be a crockery platter of severed fingers and toes that sits on a rickety old table. By the table is a dried sinew basket, piled to overflowing with hacked-off hands and feet, all sporting stubs of congealed blood where their digits once were. From the top of the pile, a family of lucky rats gorges itself on the red stumps, their whiskers twitching as they sense your presence and peek back at you, beady eyes gleaming faintly in the dark.

All PCs who enter the room must roll a DC 15 Fort save to avoid being sickened for 1d6 minutes by the stench.

*****

Map

[jamieth]

Naya

Knowing what to expect did make it easier on Naya's bowels... but not particularly to her mind. Searching through this room with any sort of thoroughness. Anyway... the rats living here apparently liked fingers, and that... amde any possibility of locating a ring quite distant anyway... naya found her thoughts wandering, piling up more and more euphimisms and metaphors on every thought that apeeared in her mind, as a shield against thinking straight about these things...

Naya blinked. As a reasonably experienced crypt explorer, it became something like a second nature to her to keep a rough map of any building she was in in her mind, and this one didn't fit. No way there was a room for another room behind the door next to the windoes. Maybe a small storage, at best... Might as well. She pulled the door.

[Desril]

Setsuna

Setsuna...hesitated. Seeing the gruesome display made the tiefling's stomach churn and a chill overcame her as she turned away. She very much wanted to be gone from this place, but the sight of the rat reminded her that things could survive in this hellish place, and that there might still be prisoners who could be spared the fate of that particular...meal.

Distracted as she was though, she didn't realize Naya had gone for the door in the corner until the sylph was already there and quickly rushes after her, "Wait, it is not safe." Assuming she hadn't already, Setsuna will open the door.

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Fort (1d20+8)[16]

[maggie_mcknife]

Red

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Fort Save: (1d20+9)[19] - passed

That smell was worse than a butcher's midden. Worse than those sewer otyughs that she'd chanced upon in Korvosa's depths. Tearing her gaze away from the awful tablecloth - it was human hide, wasn't it? - for fear of what new horror she might behold, Red coughs and shields her nose, unbidden tears welling up from the stench as she stumbles towards the now open door.

A single glance suffices to send Red, for all her years of sell-swording, reeling from the door. This time, the tears that ran down her dirt-smeared face as she stood stricken and trembling, had nothing to do with the smell.

The table should have warned her. She should have guessed. Steeled her heart. But this was wrong - so wrong. These weren't bigfolk. These were monsters. Not even an animal would have done this...

*****

GM post

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Shalelu's Fort Save: (1d20+10)[28] - passed

"Desna preserve us," mutters Shalelu as she peers into the room, narrowing her eyes and making a sign of warding over her heart. "Even a bugbear wouldn't stoop to such savagery. Sister Brin is not going to be very happy when she sees this."

For those of you more concerned with pushing onward and getting out of this foul farmhouse as quickly as possible, trying the door in the corner of the room reveals a ominously creaking staircase that leads upstairs. Should you dare to venture up without waiting for Shalelu, you find that the narrow corridor and the open door of the room before it to be mercifully free of more Grauls.

After the gruesome rooms below, you find the eastern room on this upper floor to blessedly reek of nothing worse than the pong of sour straw and stale urine. There are seven large, filthy cots in here, lying at odd angles to the wall with deep grooves marked in the floor by their feet. On the wall across from you, a human skull with five-point deer antlers glued on at a rakish angle grins down at you. But perhaps most importantly, you spy a large cedar chest shoved against the west wall of the room.

*****

Map

[jamieth]

It seems surreal that the stink and the symbol of some unholy deity (or is it? Remember to ask Miss Brin...) can be seen as a relief, and yet compared to the horrors of the first floor, it somehow does... this place is no really worse than some of the dungeons Naya was in before. The chest only adds to the impression, of course... and, of course, it means Naya is careful enough not to touch it.
"Miss Setsuna, miss Red, miss Brin!" she calls out, descending the stairs, "and miss Rico, if you're free - there's a bedroom upstairs... seven beds. Can anyone remember how many Grouls did we end? Also... there's a chest - might be trapped..."

[Desril]

Setsuna

Following Naya upstairs, Setsuna looks into the bedroom and frowns. They fought quite the number of ogrekin, but "Not seven of them..." Shaking her head, she walks into the room, slowly, on guard for traps, but waits for Red to examine the chest before attempting anything with it.

[jamieth]

"I don't even think it was six..." Naya nods, "meaning there might be someone else alive..."meaning there might be someone else alive...[/b][/color]

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

"Yes, it's quite possible there's more Grauls yet about. But I wouldn't put it past these wretches to bed down in that barn we burned down. And their dam and at least one other seemed to be nesting downstairs. Best to burn the place down before we leave, all the same." Shalelu peeks into the bedroom, her eyes shining in the gloom as she scans the premises.

Spotting the antlered skull, she frowns and makes another sign of warding, this time over her forehead. "Making art out of their poor victims... Goddess. I certainly hope you're not thinking of sparing any of these brutes after seeing all this - are you? Setsuna?"

*****

Red

Spoiler

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STR check: (1d20+4)[19]

The sound of Naya calling her name slowly summons Red back to the present. Scrubbing at her eyes roughly with the heel of her palm, she treads listlessly up the stairs after Shalelu, barely heeding where she placed her feet.

Squinting as she emerges from the stairwell, Red sniffs and wading through the growing numbness in her head, somehow manages to focus on the chest that Naya indicates. She pads over and kneels before the chest, reflexively running her fingers over the smooth grain, testing it for hidden softness and flex. No lock. Placing both her palms against the lid, she grunts and hefts, feeling the wood shift- and stick.

"It is... tight. I need help."

STR DC 20 check needed to open the chest. (At least one successful Aid Another needed to help Red.)

If the chest is successfully opened, roll Perception DC 20.

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post / Red

Spoiler

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STR check passes with +2 AA from Setsuna (rolled in OOC for 19)

Red blinks and glances at Setsuna out of the corner of her eye when the tiefling princess deigns to lend a hand with the chest, pointing to where the rusty hinges needed to be aligned more carefully. Well, all right then. Nodding briefly as the chest lid comes free with a muted scraping, Red lifts it up a few inches and peers beneath, searching for the glint of hidden wires or tell-tale powders.

Finding none, she takes a deep breath and risks heaving the lid up and open. As the chest lid swings up to the agonising squeak of un-oiled metal, Red mentally braces herself and is relieved to find that the chest holds nothing more intimidating than the broken halves of a shell scrimshaw, several tarnished copper coins and a single bulging burlap bag. From where she kneels, Red can see the seductive gleam of precious metals visible through the worn cloth.

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Red's perception check: (1d20+12)[30] - passed

"... It is a... loot chest. Miss Shalelu... the ring you are l-looking for. It c-could be here..." Reaching down into the chest, Red is about to nudge the sack aside to see if the chest contains any silver rings when she abruptly halts, fingers hovering just above the sack as an uneasy feeling stirs in her chest.

No. Too easy. Precious things left out like this... but what about the rooms downstairs, with the scythes and spikes? One of the Grauls must have been a trap-maker, and a clever one too. Red withdraws her hand, biting her lip as she squints at the chest once more, the sudden twinge of pain forcing her out of her stupor. Think. Look again. How would Chanda do this...

There. Motioning the others forward, Red wordlessly points out the gaps between the side planks in the otherwise smooth interior of the chest, no wider than the edge of a silver coin - as well as the long razors nestled deep within, the blades darkened with some sort of sooty grease.

[Desril]

Setsuna

Waiting patiently for Red to do what she does, the tiefling just sends silent encouragement toward the rogue, knowing she can do it and hoping she does it just a little bit faster because they would all very much love to be out of this horrid house as quickly as possible. Once she sees Red has that covered, she leaves the looting and ring searching to the others as she looks for the next door to head in and check, scanning for traps before opening it this time.

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(1d20+5)[23]

[jamieth]

Seeing Red pointing out the blades, Naya nods, "Step aside, miss Red... I'll try to get the things out of the chest without getting near the blades..." she walks around the chest trying to find a spot that - from her understanding - blades can't reach, and conjures her trusty mini-hurricane inside, trying to lift the first portion of the treasure.

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post / Red

She wasn't sure there was a way to remove the sack without causing the blades to fall. Still, Red doesn't voice her objections to Naya's plan. A spell couldn't bleed or feel pain, after all; better something that wouldn't risk them getting hurt.

As Naya raises her hands in a gesture of power, air currents begin to circulate within the chest, sending the broken halves of the scrimshaw tumbling madly around the inside of the chest, pinging off the nearby coins. The contents of the sack clink and shift as the summoned winds work their way beneath the worn fabric, while those of you watching crane in, holding your breaths.

The sack begins its slow ascent from the bottom of the chest, coins sliding about in a metallic susurrus. Almost immediately, the trap is sprung - razor blades whipping forth from the walls and slicing down towards the bag. One of the blades snags on the burlap and rips the sack open, spilling forth a goodly amount of gleaming coins, rings, and gems along with, gruesomely enough - several severed fingers - their skins leathery and desiccated with age.

Before blades have even stopped shuddering from the impact of their landing, before Naya has calmed her winds, Shalelu suddenly surges forward. With the same easy grace with which you'd seen her pluck forth a struggling fish from the river on your journey to Turtleback Ferry, you now see the elf's hand darting out and scooping up a fistful from the spilled hoard. Opening her palm, Shalelu squints hard at her catch - then grins, her stern face softening into an almost beatific smile of relief as she picks up one of the rings between finger and thumb.

"It needs a good soaking in vinegar. But look. Here it is." She laughs into the words, holding out the ring for your inspection: a trio of emeralds set in browning silver, with a design of spring leaves curling about the band.

*****

In the room across the corridor (A10), Setsuna prepares herself for yet more traps, though this dusty and sprawling room seems to be devoid of such malicious guarding.

Wrinkling her nose at the thick ropes of cobwebs that line the room's angles, Setsuna finds little more than tables strewn with cracked beakers, glass vials, bits of twisted metal and old tin cans. The far west corner is piled high with rusting animals traps and coils of rope, while the opposite east corner sits some old furniture and a roll of some rat-nibbled fur. There's a lot of old gear scattered about the room, but to find anything of immediate utility would probably take some hard searching.

*****

Map

[jamieth]

Even though she was prepared for the blades, the trap springing still takes Naya by surprise, causing her to twitch backwards, almost falling onto the floor... "Th-thank you, miss Red", she stutters, "If not for you, I'd stick in there myself... not sure the windy escape would've helped there..." Once Shalelu picks up the ring, however, Naya rushes towards the elf, stopping just short from hugging her. "Congratulations, miss Shalelu!" she exclaims, "Just a moment, I'll go ask miss Setsuna to clean it..."

"Miss Setsuna!" she darts out of the rom, as if forgetting that not all Grauls are accounted for still (then again, not like they were particularly silent up to this moment...), "Miss Setsuna, we got the ring - perhaps, perghaps it's time to burn this place down? Or, is there anything else you need from here?"

[Desril]

Setsuna

Scanning the room briefly, before Naya called her, Setsuna looks around for a moment. Once she's alerted to the ring, however, the tiefling quickly makes her way back to clean it with a simple prestidigitation, smiling happily at Shalelu for having found her ring. "With this, we just need to check this last room, I think...and then we can burn this place down. We have checked every room, I think?"

Spoiler

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Searching the other room if no one stops her (1d20+5)[15] perception

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

Setsuna

The small piles of rusting junk scattered about the room's tables are hardly an invitation to looting eyes. All the same, Setsuna does her best, approaching each table in turn and craning her head this way and this to see if the equipment might yield anything of worth.

Several minutes of searching later turns up little more than some pliers and some less badly rusted pick implements that might not looked out of place in one of Red's thief toolkits. Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be anything of value - at least not that the young tiefling is able to spot.

*****

Everyone else

With her mother's ring retrieved, Shalelu's mood is buoyant, as evinced by the loosening of her tongue. Unable to keep a smile from tugging at the corners of her mouth, she bows solemnly to each of you in thanks. "Thank you, Setsuna. I dread to think what those wretches might have otherwise done with my mother's ring. Yes, let's burn this place to the ground. I hope Father Shreed doesn't think we've gone and set his beloved forest ablaze. I saw that smoke column, back in summer, when you lot burned down the old Foxglove Manor. It could be seen for miles from Sandpoint.."

Just as you all are about to leave the bedroom, Shalelu pauses. Then, with a nod towards Red, she motions towards the open mouth of the chest.

"We should take the rest of their hoard with us too, though. If these Grauls have been preying off the townsfolk for years, then it is likely that these other jewels may yet find their owners with the surviving family of any unfortunates gone missing. Otherwise, it should be finders' fee, I believe; what value remains of the hoard, going unclaimed, falls to you. Could someone get that skull off the wall for Sister Brin to pray over?"

*****

(continued in following post!)

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post (continued)

Persuading both Brin and Rico to burn the farmhouse down and head back with the rest to Turtleback Ferry turns out to be no easy feat. With the unfortunately ample proof of the Grauls' butchery and banditry gathered in several buckets of half-consumed flesh, Rico is all for staying to document the crime scene with extreme prejudice. Likewise, for Brin, the sheer number of body parts and souls that need putting to rest compels the Pharasmin to argue violently in favour of leaving the premises intact until she'd had time to properly pray over as many of the desecrated parts as possible - even if that part was but a mummified thumb dangling from one of the Graul's grotesque wind-chimes.

In the end, the potential threat of running into the revengeful Graul matriarch and the need to get the surviving Black Arrows back to safety wins out. Grumbling as she cradles the unconscious Kaven in her massive arms, Rico cannot help but scowl suspiciously at every dark shadow on the way back, gnashing her teeth as the mere action might summon forth any unlucky Graul that she might exercise her wrath upon. Just behind her, Brin stalks along, her face drawn and grim even as she follows close behind Jakardos Sovark, who staggers along with an arm draped around Vale's shoulder.

Though the prospect of some rest and the chance to clean up after your labours is a welcome one, for most of you, the grisly findings at the Graul farmhouse have left you worn and solemn. Red seems to follow Rico's footfalls mechanically, barely noticing where she is going, her eyes dull and glazed over. Only Shalelu seems alert as she steps lively with her head held high, but even she knows better than to keep up a cheerful patter when most of you are looking more fit for a funeral than a triumphant return with captives freed.

You descend the path by the river mostly in silence, the Black Arrows slipping in their bare feet, their usually stalwart limbs made weak by their long confinement. It eventually falls to the stronger ones among you to steer them along, with Red finally rousing out of whatever stupor she was in long enough to take over supporting Jakardos from Vale, practically carrying the old man by the time you all sight the glowing lanterns that mark the border of Turtleback Ferry in the distance.

Despite the disparaging assessment of the town's defenses that Shalelu had made on your journey forth that morning, your approach to Turtleback Ferry in the gloom of dusk does not go unnoticed. With a few hundred paces to go, you are suddenly greeted by challenging shouts, with a small knot of foresters armed with makeshift pikes suddenly boiling forth from a small hut by the wooden palisade that surrounds the town. Those of you in the vanguard of your group quickly recognise the lithe shape of Eilnda as she hurries to meet you, holding up a lantern while the other hand inexpertly grasps the hilt of a sword far too long for her to wield.

"The First Hunter preserve you! We thought perhaps you were bandits. Or even the Grauls grown bold, we hadn't expected you back so soon." The young acolyte releases her awkward grip on the sword hilt long enough to hastily make the sign of the Erastili arrow, her eyes flitting briefly in the direction of Jakardos and Vale. Two barely clothed, filthy men are clearly not what she might have expected your group to return with on the trail.

"The Grauls, we hope, are no more. We chanced upon one of those wretches tormenting this poor Black Arrow here. It was he who led us to their den. I'm afraid we were not able to destroy their dam or to burn their hovel to the ground, but we did manage to rescue these two others. Will you see to it that they are tended to, Lady Eilnda? They have suffered much in their captivity." Shalelu interjects smoothly, nodding towards Red and Rico to bring the Black Arrows over. Blinking in the flickering light from Eilnda's lantern as he limps forward, Jakardos nervously licks his cracked lips and glances briefly towards Shalelu, before squinting at Eilnda, a glimmer of recognition in his bleary eyes.

On her part, the young acolyte purses her lips as she surveys the two grizzled men, right before her jaw falls open in shock. "Good gods- Captain Sovark! It is you! What on earth- Petra! Quick, run over to Father Shreed and tell him. Daniya, Uma. Don't just stand there, help carry those men. We'll take care of 'em, Miss. Don't you worry. Petra! I said to run!"

"We'll be along to the Mayor directly, to report to him our findings," calls Shalelu somewhat perfunctorily over Eilnda's head. Turning to the rest of you, the elf nods her head in the direction of the Turtle's Parlour. "I think, though the news we bring is grave indeed, it can probably wait long enough for us to wash up before we spoil the rest of Father Shreed's night...?"

*****

Still trying to make amends for yesterday's fiasco, Orlandi says not a word about the mud that you track with you into his little inn. Nor does his pudgy nose even twitch at the stink of dried blood and sweat. Instead, the innkeeper merely grins sheepishly and effusively offers as much ale and boiled beef dumplings as those of you who can still stomach solid food at this point can stand to swallow.

Soon enough, Shalelu rounds you up from your rooms and herds you over to the Erastili lodge that you'd visited the previous night. Eilnda is waiting for you by the door and she quickly leads you to a small room at the back of the lodge, where you find Father Maelin Shreed kneeling by a threadbare feather mattress, tending to Jakardos Sovark. Looking up at your entry, Father Shreed nods but does not speak, taking the time to finish binding what looks like some herbal poultice to the old ranger's shoulder before sitting up and clearing his throat.

In his usual dour fashion, the mayor-priest gets straight to the point. "Yer've done bravely, Magnimarians. Rousting out the Grauls and rescuing these men. Though, as Captain Sovark tells me, the Fort is done for. Tell me, what do yer advise that we do next? I understand that the Graul Mammy is still somewhere out there."

As Father Shreed speaks, there is a knock at the room door. Eilnda rises and admits a tall man, immaculately and expensively groomed despite the infamous Hook Mountain climate. He quirks an expressive brow as if to question the nature of his presence in the room, the clink of heavy armour palpable from beneath his water-beaded travelling cloak as he steps forth.

"Ah, Master Telemachus." Father Shreed waves the newcomer over. "I'm sorry to disturb yer rest. But these were the folk that was sent by Magnimar to help investigate what was up with the Fort. They've rescued this man - Captain Sovark of the Black Arrows. I'm afraid the news on what's likely happened to your friend is grave. The Fort's been overrun by those damned Kreeg ogres for weeks, and it don't seem that they've been keeping prisoners.."

*****

For Tefkros

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You'd been hoping for a much longer rest following your stormy journey upriver. Since leaving Magnimar, you'd not caught much sleep, being trapped in a leaking excuse of a barge that'd been pitched wildly about in the powerful currents all the way to Claybottom Lake. Still, duty had to be done, and you'd duly called in on Father Maelin Shreed that evening, to deliver both greetings from your church and your formal inquiry as to the unwonted silence at Fort Rannick.

Father Shreed, bless his crotchety old soul, had been civil enough but offered little useful news beyond his own confusion on the situation. It had been heartening to know that Lord Grobaras of Magnimar had already moved to send what sounded like a small band of warriors to investigate. Heartening, but worrying, all the same - the sending of warriors would imply that some kind of foul play was afoot, and that was surely no good.

You'd been about to tuck into a hearty meal at the waggishly named Bottoms Up tavern when a runner had come from Father Shreed with the news that the band sent to investigate had returned and that you ought to attend as soon as you could. As thus, here you were...

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

His huge bow, left standing behind him, Tefkros is eating using his own cutlery, with great relish. His manners have been obviously learned n other kinds of halls, but Tefkros does not seem to mind in the least. On the contrary, he is eating and drinking heartily, and from time to time, uses a piece of bread to conduct an unseen orchestra, even as he hums.

But then the runner comes and Tefkros hastily finishes. Picking up his gear, he follows the runner, thinking all the while.

Mercenaries. Hmmm. And successful ones, Many times, these types are just lucky. As many times, they are tough as nails. I wonder what will this group be?

His musing are soon answered. Tefkros hides his reaction well.

By the Lady, these look tough!

Tefkros marshals his thoughts. He bows.

"Tefkros Telemachus, at your service. My thanks for your courage. Though the news are from pleasant, for me."

Tefkros sighs, a momentary sorrow clouding his face.

"So, the Fort is overrun and something called a Graul mommy is on the loose. May I inquire what are your future plans? Because, I have a vested interest on making things wight in the area."

Tefkros fishes out his Iomedean symbol, made from plain steel.

"You may say it's my calling".

[jamieth]

Despite Tefkros's generous assessment, Naya looks anything but tough at the moment; adrenaline had kept her going, just, while they were exploring the farm; but the monotony of the trek down the trail back to the town gave the poison ample time to spread through her body. By the time she got to the inn, all the sylph can think about is falling onto the bed and not thinking - or caring - about anything for the next twelve hours or so... at least.

But that's no excuse to neglect basic politeness. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Telemachus... And... I'm sorry for your loss. Our plans... honestly, I can't think of much besides getting some rest right now - we all need rest, I think... but..." she looks at her companions, unsure if it would be wise to say anything further, about the sihedron cult and its involvement in the events.

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

Tefkros gets the idea that the party does not want to share. Well, they look pretty beat up.

"Rest, I can understand. Perhaps I can offer you some food and drink, as my guests? I am also capable of helping with your wounds. My Lady of the Sword will, I believe, grace my request for healing.

I am, after all, one of her mortal Swords in this plane. Bows. Weapons.

Oh, what is the use. As the great Eskylas said in his play 'Menander of Absalom', "Words escape fools like wine from a punctured cup".

So, will you share food and drink before your rest?"

[Desril]

Setsuna

As Tefkros talks, Setsuna, like Naya, wanted to go to sleep as she was very tired, given how exhausting the day had been. But she had a vested interest in returning to the inn tonight before going to bed. There was someone she wanted to see..."A drink will be...nice. And as for the Fort. We will do something, but," in a rare moment of good sense, the tiefling doesn't try to just rush in. "We need to rest. Then tomorrow, we will see what state the fort is in and what the ogres are doing and then decide what to do, yes?" She turns to look at the party.

[jamieth]

"Of course, Miss Setsuna", Naya smiles, "And while we eat, perhaps we should tell Master Tefkros about... the things we were dealing with , that brought us here? About Xanesha, and the cult, and... the letter we found... the one that suggests the ogres themselves were just pawns of... whoever wrote that letter..."

She turns to the newcomer again, "Sorry, it's a long story, Master Tefkros, and one I know not from the beginning myself... Miss Setsuna, Miss Red, Miss Rico could tell you more about how it started..."

***A bit later***

"...and the investigation of the Skinsaw cult led to Magnimar, where... that's where I enter the story... we tracked - and killed - the cult leader, a lamia named Xanesha, and some of her high-ranked allies... including the Justice of Magnimar himself... or so we thought. But the letter found in Xanesha's hideout suggested that while her cult succeeded in gathering dark energy from the souls of corrupted, for reasons we still don't know, the author claimed theoir own operation, based around Fort Rannick and Turtleback Ferry, was much more effective... so we had no choice but to come and see for ourselves.

Here, we found that the gambling hall located on a barge in the Claybottom Lake used the tattoos, looking just like the markings cult placed on their victims, to mark the elite clients... but before we got here, the barge, in a rather too convenient incident, sunk with most of its clientele...

We didn't get to investigate further, since the fate of the Rannick Fort was more pressing matter... but we didn't even get to the fort before happening on the Grauls... the vile family of ogres leaving in the forest... After dealing with them, going further, exhausted as we are now, going further would be suicide... Especially if the leader of this operation is as powerful as Xanesha were - and we have no reason to believe otherwise. They claimed FOrt Rannick would be in their hands by the time Xanesha could get here... and Xanesha certaibnly could get here before we did.

Not that we're going to leave them to their devices of course", the sylph nods with a determined look on her face, "And any help will be appreciated..."

[ProudGrognard]

Tefkros

Tefkros eats a little and drinks sparringly. After all, he was just eating when he was summoned. But the story is fascinating and more than a little scary. Tefkros has seen the Divine at work enough times to realize why he was there. When Naya finishes, he takes a moment to collect his thoughts.

"That was a ...fascinatingly horrid story. I am humbled by what you have achieved, and by the losses you have endured. But I don't see how I can do anything else but offer my assistance. Please. My bow is yours. And my arrows. And me, at that, since it would be silly to only give you my bow and not come along.

So, tomorrow is good?"

He smiles, trying to break the tense atmosphere of having recalled so many things.

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post / Red

Erastili Lodge

"Well, I certainly don't think we're in any immediate danger from the bloated monstrosity that birthed the Grauls. She didn't seem to be much of a fighter. Like as not, she's fled to seek allies... which brings me to the question of the Kreegs at the Fort." Shalelu directs a half-bow in the direction of the dozing Jakardos Sovark. "I would suggest strengthening what town defences you have. Your fences, as they are, will scarce suffice to hold off even a single determined ogre. In that wise, any information that the surviving rangers could reveal on the Fort and what they last saw, though weeks-stale, would be of invaluable help..."

As it turns out, Father Shreed is in no mood to have you disturb any of the Black Arrows this night. Nor do your suggestions that his town's martial aptitude is more than questionable go down well. It is only after some polite argument that the grouchy old man grudgingly agrees to convey your requests for information to them on the morning. All the same you find yourselves being firmly shooed back out into the rain, under the pretext of not disturbing his exhausted patients. The newcomer's offer of food and drink right now certainly sounds quite welcome...

*****

(later, at the Bottoms Up tavern)

"Your presence would certainly be much welcome, sir Telemachus. I believe we might find ourselves short-handed on the morrow." Shalelu looks thoughtful, taking a genteel sip of ale while glancing meaningfully at the empty seats that would have been otherwise occupied by Rico and Brin. (Whom, as it turns out, had deigned to remain with Father Shreed to give him more details on what you all had found at the Graul farmhouse - much to the old man's displeasure.) "But tell us more. You say that you had a friend among the Black Arrows, at the Fort? Has he told you anything of the nature of the place? Or of the ogres?"

For her part, Red had quietly inhaled her bowl of beef stew while the others had told their tale, too sick at heart and drained of energy to contribute. With only a forlorn thin slice of carrot left at the bottom of her bowl now, she gives it a half-hearted poke with her spoon before sighing heavily and looking up at the others. The tall man's striking face and the rumble of his voice certainly rang a bell...

"... We've met before. M-magnimar. At... Rag's End. You w-were lost." Struck by the sudden recollection of the stately knight who'd approached her so many years ago, Red blurts the words out in a tumbled rush. At the same time, she fumbles with her spoon, sending it clattering to the floor in a spray of cold stew gravy. (Which, unfortunately, to her horror, mostly lands on Setsuna's face.)