Red Hand of Doom: Team 2 (IC)

[kpenguin]

Huukec

Huukec went to sleep early last night and woke up early in the morning. After spending an hour in silent study, Huukec begins working on identifying the magic items. When the party is called to the common room, Huukec decides to stay and finish his work

OOC: Okay, its going to take me an hour each to identify the items

[Mavian]

Before the meeting in the common room, Tal's going to wander around the town, not really going anywhere in particular, but trying to find out anything he can about either the Red Hand, Vraath, or any of the other things that came up in questioning the hobgoblins.

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Gather Information Check - (1d20+5)[24]
He's willing to grease palms, paying up to 5 gold to each person for information.
It'll take him (1d4+1)[4] hours

[Powerfamiliar]

DM

Huukec:

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((Go ahead and say you identified them before the meeting))

Mavian

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You can only manage to find information about the Vraath keep, the population seems completely ignorant about the red hand.

Vraath keep: The keep was ruined before any of the town's residents had arrived here. Pretty much everyone you question considers the place haunted, some say the ghosts of all it's last inhabitants still reside within the keep, but most just say it's haunted by the ghost of it's last lord, no one knows the name other that he was a Vraath. They say the ghosts can be heard during the night if you get to close to the keep. You can't find anyone who has actually been to the place.

There is also disagreement about how is became ruined. Some say it just happened during a battle in the last war, others nature itself destroyed the fort.

[Blue_C.]

Mi'lassk

After spending some time in the water, which is as close as he can get to nature inside the town, Mi'lassk spends the morning trying to find out as much as possible about the surrounding area before the meeting. Not knowing where their goal is (then), he doesn't ask specific questions, except for the condition of the main roads leading away form Drellin's Ferry

[Neftren]

Jathrax

Spending the morning in his room meditating, his attitude subtly changes as his maneuvers change. Snapping the blade manual shut, he slowly ventures outside to wander the town, looking for any exotic goods or things that might be of use to him.

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I will be changing my maneuvers right around now, but if you need me to post, I'll check back in a bit.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

Huukec manages to identify the items before the meeting.

OOC: What do I identify?

[Powerfamiliar]

DM

Mi'lassk

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Wanting to get closer to nature, you are made aware of a small clearing near the woods. Should you approach it you will find a large circle of stones, menhirs to be exact. They along with the rest of the area seem to be very well taken care of, in this place you feel closer to nature than you had in a long while. Asking around should reveal that this menhirs are known as the old ones, and are tended regularly by a druid named Avarthel.

Asking about the roads you find out many are worried about the increasing attacks, but most trust the town and House Deneith can take care of it.

Jathrax

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You can;t really find any store selling anything you'd consider exotic, you are able to find plenty of mundane goods for sale though.

Huukec

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There were 3 magical items:
Breastplate = +1 Breastplate
Stick = Wand of cure light wounds (24 charges)
Crystal:
"This crystal seems to contain an incandescent green fluid"
Crystal of acid assault lesser: if attached to a weapon it deals an extra 1d6 acid damage. The weapon must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus. It takes a move action to attach the crystal to a weapon, only one crystal per weapon.

[Randel]

Dalton

After appraising the items the previous day, Dalton used his dragonmark to repair one of the masterwork swords and in the morning repairs another sword.

He then sells the two repaired longswords and all the items except the nonrepaired swords and the mace.

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 8  chainmail                420 
 8  steel shields             65
 8  composite longbow(+1 str)650
 2  crossbows                 20
 2  repaired longswords      270
20  arrows                     2
================================
                            1427 gp

1427 gp - money from sold loot
+355 gp - coins in loot
====
1782 gp - cash from loot


Dalton decides to keep the remaining 6 longswords and mace as 
his share so he can repair them and sell them later. (770 gp if sold as is, 
he puts 353 gp into the loot pile)

 770 gp - the value of remaining weapons
-417 gp - Daltons share of loot
 ===
 353

1782 - cash from loot
+353 - money dalton adds
====
2135 - total
/  5
====
 427 gp - the share each of the others get. A little bigger than normal 
due to the added value from repairs.

He the buys the 6 swords and the mace from the group with his share of the loot and 353 gp. Dalton gives each of the others 427 gp.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

"I have identified the properties of the magical items. The armor has a minor enchantment that improves its defenses. The stick is a wand that may be used to cast the spell 'cure light wounds' no more than 24 times. The crystal is enchanted to grant any weapon it is attached to a corrosive surface that will scald your foes"

OOC: +1 Breastplate, Wand of Cure Light Wounds (24 Charges), Lesser Crystal of Acid Assault

[Random NPC]

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I guess I must sound like an ass, but would you all Fast Forward to our scene with Norro? I am assuming this all happened before the meeting. It would be kinda rude to have that happening. Either way, If nobody needs the crystal, I could take it.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

Being in his homeland makes Huukec a very happy goblin. He smiles at seeing the faces of kin walking through the town, though the Cyran architecture is a bit offsetting.

However, his mood fades as he sees Norro and remembers the business at hand.

"Norro, the bandits that attacked claimed allegience to some 'Red Hand'. Do you know anything of this? I have not heard anything like this when I was last in Darguun, so I hope it is some local rogue warlord or such."

[Powerfamiliar]

Norro

Red Hand? Umm I believe some survivors of the last raid said they heard the raiders call themselves something similar. We assumed it was just a name these band decided to call themselves and gave it no further importance. I don't believe I have heard anything else regarding any "red hand". Do you have a reason to think it might be more than that?"

[Blue_C.]

Mi'lassk

"I can't imagine they just picked that name out of a hat, but if you don't know, we can research it later, I suppose. There is also something that bothered me about that ambush. Hurrek," he says, nodding towards the goblin, "mentioned that they said they did not, how did it go? They did not 'bow to any Kech Volarr dog.' Have you heard of any splinter groups operating in this area before? That might allow us a lead on who they are."

[Powerfamiliar]

Norro

"Well no, not out of a hat. I assume some thought went into selecting this name. Well if you think there might be something to the name I'll ask around about the name. There are a few Dhakaani, Kech Shaarat I think, clans up in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains", we assumed these raiders were part of one of those clans. There's very little we can do to the tribes in the mountains and we are content just keeping them out of the woods.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

"
Kech Shaarat, eh? No wonder they paid respect neither to the Lhesh nor Kech Volaar.

Well, when I read the thoughts of the three we handed over to you I found out a bit.

The Red Hand believe themselves to be elite and enlightened goblins. Utter foolishness one could expect from Kech Sharaat.

Interestingly, a red hand is used as a symbol by some tribes in Argonessen, the land of dragons. The holy symbol carried by one of the bandits is inscribed with dragon heads, so there may be a definite connection.

They are lead by Koth, a robed bugbear. Probably a wizard or a priest or something."

[Random NPC]

Maor Moonclaw

Maor crossed his hands and watched the conversation going back and fort, trying to put pieces together.

[Powerfamiliar]

Norro

"...Argonessen?...A connection to Argonessen seems very odd. I doubt many of these bandits know about the place, but a draconic symbol is very troublesome, could very well be dragon bellow. Do you still have this symbol? I could investigate about it while you check out Vraath."

Norro makes a gesture towards his servant who begins to pack Norro's gear.

"As you can see in the map you can get to Vraath in about a normal day's travel. If you have no further questions I have other business to attend to. Drellin's ferry would owe you if you can rid us of this problem."

maps to date:

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Town:

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You are near the red X.


I'll be filling the spots of interest as you get near them.
2: Open air market, mostly selling produce.
3: Nice house, has two guards in Deneith colors standing outside.
4: The Green Apple
5: Smithy
6. Shrine to Dol Dorn
7. Sertherrien's house
8: Jail
9: Stone building
10: The Old Bridge Inn
11. has two signs outside says: "Jarred Sundries"; "General Store"
12: Delora's place.
13: Wooden building.
17: Jendar's Warehouse.
18: Sterrell's provisioning

Overland:

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Remember to flip horizontally.
E is the keep.
A is the road.
B are the trails.

((OOC: Once you are finished here, should I advance you to out of town, or does anyone still have business in town? Vraath Keep is about 16 miles away, so it should be about 8 hours travel walking.))

[Neftren]

Jathrax

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I've been pretty busy with exams and all. I should be back to a regular posting rate now that they're over.

After receiving the gold from the sales, Jathrax wanders the town looking for Martial Scripts and Scrolls, hoping to add to his repertoire of moves. He also wanders the town looking for more information on the hunter's trails and the main road to the Vraath ruins, as well as any information on bugbear magic users.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

"Say, Norro, is there any place in this town that I could exchange this for coin"

Huukec holds up his letter of credit.

"I don't suppose there's a Kundarak outpost here?"

[Powerfamiliar]

DM

Jathrax

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You can't find any store selling scripts, but you do hear there are a few Deneith martial adepts in town. You find them going to one of the House Deneith training facilities. One, a hobgoblin female, is actually a blade scholar, but seems wary of sharing maneuver's with you until a superior informs her you are oneof the group Norro called. She will let you copy the following maneuver/stances :

Moment of perfect mind : 50 gp
Mighty Throw: 50 gp
Wolf fang Strike: 50 gp
Blistering Flourish: 50 gp
Stance of clarity: 50 gp

Hatching Flame: 100 gp
Drain Vitality: 100 gp
Claw at the moon: 100 gp

Dance of the spider: 150 gp
Shadow Garrote: 150 gp

Norro

"No, I fear there is no Kundarak presence at the moment. The closest outpost I think is in Brindol just across the Border. You can try trading it to one of our merchants, but they are unlikely to give you full value."

((I'm not completely sure how passing a note to another owner works, but if it does you can probably trade it to a merchant for 90% of its value.))

[Neftren]

Jathrax

Jathrax spends a day copying the Shadow Garrote maneuver into his Blade Manual. While not entirely comfortable with allowing a stranger to touch his manual, he knew he had to compromise and then handed over 427gp to the master of the training facility.

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Changed my Readied Maneuvers on the Sheet.

[Randel]

Dalton

"I have the plaque right here." Dalton pulls out the plaque and hands it to Norro.

If the others are staying another day here, Dalton tries to repair the remaining swords the best he can for resale.

[Blue_C.]

Mi'lassk

After the meeting, and Mi'lassk takes some of his money in hand, and, predictably, spends it on the mule.

"I need to purchase a pack saddle for a mule, please," he tells the person in the general store, "riding. Do you have one?"

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417-15g=402 gold.

[Powerfamiliar]

Day 3

After a day of resting, laboring, and shopping you head out for the ruins of Vraath. The road you are currently traveling, the Dawn way, cuts through the wester portion of the Witchwood for about 40 miles. It is broad, level and clear. Every few miles you encounter rudimentary shelters, probably built by traveler.

Travel for the first few hours is relatively safe, and you are soon approaching the first river crossing. A wide expanse of dark water has flooded the woodland in this low valley. Trees still protrude from the calm dark waters here and there, but many large reaches seem to be little more than algae-choked water. The thrill of frogs and the whine of insects fills the air. The forest road leads right down to th edge of the flooded section, up to a rickety-looking causeway made of thick planks of wood lashed together with mossy rope. The wooden causeway runs for several hundred feet though the boggy patch, only a foot or so above the water.

Up ahead you can make out the wreckage of a wagon lying on its side and half sunk in the flooded forest, about 30 feet from the causeway.



Terrain details (key at the top of the map)

Causeway(the planks) is somewhat sleek and uneven. DC 10 balance to run or charge, failure means the character can't move that round.

Shallow bog Each square costs two squares of movement, tumble DC's increase by 2.

Deeper Bog Each square costs four squares of movement, tumble is impossible.

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Same colors as last time. I rolled spots and listen for you, nothing of interest is either seen or heard apart from the half sunken wagon. The wreckage doesn't seem to be to old.

Map of the Witchwood



You are near the red x.

[Mavian]

"You know, back in town, they told me that this Vraath place was haunted. Vampires consorting with demons and the like. Maybe their zombies broke loose from there control and went on a rampage, waylaying a poor merchant and eating his brains before making love to his horses. Or maybe it was just more of those buffoons we saw previously "

Tal's going to draw his sword and rapier while glancing around the surrounding again.

"Also, why would any self-respecting wagoner drive there wagon into a bog when there's a perfectly good bridge right here?"

[Neftren]

Jathrax

Wandering slowly out onto the bridge, Jathrax examines his surroundings, preparing to strike at anything that attacks him.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

"I got a bad feeling about this..."

Huukec makes a few slight gestures and utters an incantation. His eyes glow blue as he peers out into the bog.

OOC: Arcane Sight

[Powerfamiliar]

DM

Huukec:

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You sense several auras, 3 to be exact, near the wagon, just under the bog. One is a faint abjuration aura, another a faint transmutation aura, the third one is also faint from the divination school. All three are fairly closely packed near the wagon.

[kpenguin]

Huukec

"I detect faint auras of magic near the wagon, but no where else. Whatever did this is probably gone."

[Mavian]

"Or they're hiding under the water using some kind of reed tube breathing apparartus to lull us into a false sense of security while crossing the bridge, only to jump us with our pants around are ankles as we're halfway across. At least that's what I'd do if I was in charge of the bandits. Not that I've ever lead a bandit group before."