Chapter 1: The Rise of the Ancients. (IC)

[PH7]

Spoiler: OOC

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Where are we all right now? Is the child back with us outside?

[sarlon]

Spoiler

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yes you are right where the rogue left you. The child is with him

[golahm]

Spoiler: OOC

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If you are waiting on me, I was waiting for a response from the GM. Is the child wiling to follow me back to the group? Do we reach the group uneventfully?

[sarlon]

Sorry yes to both of those questions))

[PH7]

Plinius holds up a hand to Mcrowsky. "Wait, brave cleric. A search of the house may well be warranted, but should we not deliver the child safely to his mother first? From what I hear, these goblins can be devious ambushers. Imagine our disadvantage if we have to divide our attention between searching the house, watching for foes and keeping the boy safe."

[golahm]

"I saw no sign of them in the house; the boy was alone upstairs, unharmed. I would like to check the outbuildings for any sign of the father. It's possible it was just a fire and the mother assumed the worst. He may be alive but injured or unconscious somewhere. If you are worried about splitting the party, perhaps we can compromise. You four shelter in the house and protect the boy while I scout around, then we all head back together? "

[dasniper4145]

"Aye, that sounds like a good deal to me."

[PH7]

"Well, I may not like the idea of one person risking his life out there without friends to fall back on, but I won't stop you. Just...be careful, all right?"

[tschel23]

Tess goes with the others back to the farm house to protect the boy, keeping an ear out in case Garrett should shout for backup.

[sarlon]

Those who stay in the house give me a perception check, and when I get those I'll let you know some specific things.))

As Garrett and Denalian carefully check the outhouses, they notice that there seems to have been some very careful pillaging among the supplies stored in them. While some sacks are obviously missing, there is more half still remaining.

However the barn tells another story, there IS extensive fire damage to some of the most of the building. Most of the farm animals that normally resided in the building were out in the pasture anyway. However, just inside the barn doors lies the body of a middle aged man wearing worn but cared for clothes, however his body is covered in several sword cuts, but some of them look like herbs and bandages have been applied to the wounds in an attempt to help them.

A pool of blood has formed under the body and it's obvious he's been dead for a little while, possibly soon as the woman ran towards town. With the weather as cold as it has been, and the bad weather, an exact idea of time of death is near impossible.

[golahm]

Garret looks at the body.
He tries to act professional, hide his sadness, but he can feel a tear form anyway.
He clears his throught, but his words are tight as he tries to keep his voice from wavering.

"What do you know of human burial customs?

In winter like this I doubt we could dig much of a hole, but we might be able to cremate the body. Though it might be more respectful to wrap him in a sheet from the house and ask the others to help carry him back so the family can pay their last respects and make their own funeral arrangements... But that could be dangerous. Slow us down and handicap us should the blighters try to ambush us on the way back. I'm not sure.

Either way someone needs to inform the widow...
Can you do it? I'm not sure I have the words for it.

Perhaps it would help if we packed her a bag with some spare clothes and a few personal items for her and the young ones.
Bring them some small comfort in their time of sorrow... Make it easier to bear. But how does one bear such a loss?

At least we found the boy. That's something."

[Tyg3rW01f]

Ukiah sighed, "Human burial customs vary from place to place, religion to religion, tribe to tribe. Many -though not all- claim burial is preferred. Others claim a funeral pyre is the only way. Yet another -and extremely reclusive, unless they're on a raid- claims they must float the body in a boat, on water, and set it ablaze with flaming arrows."

The young monk looked at the body. "Take your pick, my halfling friend, but know that the most likely result will be to find you have chosen poorly, insulted the spirits, and doomed this man to haunt this place until his body is handled as is proper for him. As a less reverent Brother once claimed: Damned if you do, damned if you don't."

[PH7]

Plinius throws in his two cents. "I've read about places where they leave the bodies out to be picked apart by carrion birds. Still others dispose of corpses at sea." He looks around. "Though that would seem a bit unlikely to be in use around these parts. Do all halflings use the same burial rite?"

Spoiler: OOC

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If we're protecting the boy inside the house, then Plinius goes there as well, though I thought the boy was brought outside?
If we're inside then perception = (1d20+2)[11]
If we're not, kindly disregard.

[tschel23]

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+6)[20] link: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/shows...00&postcount=1

[golahm]

"Different groups of halflings have different traditions, but I was always fond of the wake. When I go, that's what I want. A party to celebrate my life, everyone dressed in their finest, sharing food and drink and telling stories of all the good times we had together, not some solemn affair with crying and a grim monotonous preacher droning on."

OOC: I think it's easiest to assume everyone is in the house now; we must have came back after finding the body to inform the group and that is where the conversation is taking place, yes?

...and now the GM wants perception checks from the people who stayed behind so she can let them know what they found in the house while the dwarf and I were checking the outbuildings (outhouses are something else, eh sarlon? ).

[PH7]

Plinius smiles. "That sounds nice. Should that unfortunate day come to pass, I'll make sure there are some pretty young lasses singing elven verses, too."

[sarlon]

Perception checks were for those in the house while you investegated the property,))

[golahm]

Garrett winks at the mage and laughs good naturedly.

"Ha! Good man. I'm sure they will need comforting when I'm gone, and you're just the man for the job... Now back to the matter at hand... what do we do for the boy's father?"

[dasniper4145]

"I dunna know about any burial rights. Its a damn shame though. Our best bet right now however is to get back to the village. Respecting the dead is good and all, but protecting the living comes first in me book."

[sarlon]

Spoiler

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ok do to lack of communication, Ukiah went with the rogue and cleric to the barn, for those left behind in the house with the kid....

Both of you notice that while this two-story building is rather simple, it is owned by if not a wealthy family, at least a successful family. The furnishings are well built, there is real glass in the windows, an actual kitchen (rather than a large hearth), and the walls are mostly stone with timber as support both decorative and functional.

The house is in a semi-disarray, and not all of it is from the hasty retreat. The kitchen has been pilfered, and several supplies are missing, and bits of meat are still attached to hooks hanging from a cold storage room, as if they were ripped off.

It's obvious that there was careful not to take everything of value, especially since there are some pewter goblets sitting untouched, and a few other shiney things that would make any would be thief not hesitate to snatch up.

[tschel23]

Spoiler: OOC

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It looks like the rogue, mage, cleric and monk went outside? Does that leave Tess to notice this?

[sarlon]

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as I understand, the rogue, cleric, and monk searched for the father, while fighter and mage stayed inside with the boy since that was a semi defenisble position. That's the marching order and that's how I call it so act with the follow up posts that I did.

[PH7]

Spoiler: OOC

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Up to you Tschel . Plinius is also in the kitchen, but probably noticed far less than Tess and he doesn't have much to say about the interior anyway. Neither is he going to open a conversation with the kid. At the moment, he's happy to simply wait for the others to return...

[tschel23]

Spoiler: OOC

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No, that totally works, PH7! I had it in my head you were conversing with the others. I derped.

Tess makes an uncomfortable shrug which looks like a socially awkward movement, but really she's adjusting her chest bindings. She points out the unusual nature of the pillaging to Plinius while keeping a careful eye on the child. "Something's off. What do you think really happened here? I wonder what the others will find..."

[PH7]

Spoiler: OOC

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no, it's my bad. I missed the part where the halfling and dwarf went to check the outbuildings and I shouldn't have replied to his burial rites question. Sowry

"I don't know. The mother wasn't entirely truthful, or maybe she exaggerated in her panic. Whatever looters did come here were either looking for something specific, or they were interrupted in their search. None of us saw goblins fleeing, so I doubt it was our arrival that interrupted them. I hope the others come back soon. Maybe they'll find something that could give us a clue as to what really happened."

[tschel23]

"Something's definitely not right. We'll have to show the others what we found when they return." Tess leaves it at that, not wanting to upset the boy. She plays a simple to learn hand game with him to pass the time. (Basically, rock, paper, scissors, but it's probably called rock, parchment/vellum/knife or somesuch.)

[golahm]

Garrett returns to the house to talk to the party (most likely with dwarf in tow?).

We searched the outbuildings and found the father. He passed. I'm not sure what the family will want done with the body, but right now we must see to the living. I think we should grab what food and clothing we can to take back to town for the children and their mother, and then head out as soon as possible. The whole affair seems odd to me. Some food was stolen, but the place wasn't ransacked by any means, and it looks like someone tried to bandage the fathers wounds...

[tschel23]

Tess points out the inconsistencies in the house as well. "Something definitely isn't adding up. You say the father's wounds were wrapped?" She speaks in hushed tones to not alarm the boy. "I agree, we need to get some things for the family and get out of here. Something isn't right." She begins gathering some supplies.

[Tyg3rW01f]

"How do you know the supplies left behind aren't a trap?"

[golahm]

"I suppose the food could have been tampered with... but its hard to trap a children's toys or changes of clothes. In either case... we should get moving."


Garret does a quick rummage for objects that might be a comfort to the mother and her children, telling the boy that he might not be able to come back home for a few days, and asks him if he can think of anything small he can carry that he need before then...