The dawn is dull as grey clouds hang low over the land as the four of you gather your things and ready yourselves to the trek to Cliff Crosser's Ranch. You hope to find Hurdig safe and well and help him by finding his workers and more of his livestock and goods taken by the Neogi. Those of you that have travelled this way before know the way to the farm easily enough.
After a little time and no need to try and find the path, you all come to the gate of the ranch and farm. Looking out over it, a low fog hangs just above the ground even at this time of the morning, and the silence makes your hairs stand on end and goosebumps cover your skin. The farmhouse stands much as you left it, solitary and silent amidst the expansive farmland.
"I don't like this." Nolla says with a frown. She tucks her black ahir behind an ear as she glances around as well. "Hopefully the farmer didn't get carried off as well while we were away..."
None of you see anything moving about the fields and as you get closer the farmhouse a crossbow bolt whizzes by you all. Those of you that have been here before will recognise Hurdig's voice as he mutters and curses, trying to reload his crossbow inside the house.
“Hold!” Nolla calls out. “It is just us, returning to deal with the creatures in that tunnel.” She will hold up her hands as she steps out more into the open. “Please don’t shoot...”
Samael has his hands up while having enough spacing around him to hit the dirt at the first sign of continuous fire. He only says "If you are the farmer, fear not; we have come to end the infestation of your lands by the monsters."
At each of your pleas, Hurdig stands and looks out at you all. "Is that really you?" He steps out of the house into view and you all see him for the first time. Those that were here last time would see a very different Hurdig. Tired and ragged, he doesn't look as though he has slept in the week you've been away. "There 'ave been things in the shadows fer days. Thought I saw some o' my workers at the edge o' my vision, but when I looked there were nothin' there." He shudders and shakes his head and as you all look out over the fields, you all get the sense that something is watching you, but you cannot see anything that would make you feel that way. "I'd appreciate ya findin' my workers an' livestock. But, I hope yer don't mind me stayin' in me 'ouse fer the time bein'?"
Thavriol nods agreement. "Let us all proceed into the cave. Does anyone need a light?" As they move, he murmurs, "Tyr, Lord of Justice, show me the evil that lurks nearby."
“Ready when you are.” Nolla says with a nod. She looks pale though, as if this is a very very bad idea, but she is going through with it only due to having no other choice. This is despite the fact she marched all the way out here on her own volition and no one is actaully forcing her into the tunnel.
"i will, unfortunately; but, I can lend you a hend when the time comes." With that, Samael readies a Mage Hand and follows the party in, crossbow loaded, mace at the ready.
You all leave Hurdig in his disheveled state and make your way across the fields to the tunnel you first descended. As you stand at the entrance, you all once again have the feeling of being watched and each of you notice movement in your peripherals, though once again nothing is there.
Making your way down the tunnel, you pass the rotting, bloated corpse you first passed and find your way to the room you faced the two neogi and found the supplies for Hurdig. This time however, there are no neogi chattering away. Instead you find two corpses and a room in disarray.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
4 perception
"well, there are our missing men..." Samael shakes his head; "this makes no sense, Neogi are slavers, not killers; they prefer to deal out old for new rather than remove the stock entirely....."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nolla is towards the front of the group, and waves everyone to stay a bit back, as she studies the floor for tracks, and to see if she can tell anything about what might have gone on here of late...
ooc:Did Thavriol notice anything within his divine sense?
(OOC - ah, sorry, I forgot to include a note about that.)
As Thavriol searches out with his Divine Sense, nothing pings on his senses out to 60ft and the tunnel system makes it hard to determine if its just the cover from the stone and earth or that there are no celestial, fiend or undead nearby.
"well, there are our missing men..." Samael shakes his head; "this makes no sense, Neogi are slavers, not killers; they prefer to deal out old for new rather than remove the stock entirely....."
11 investigation
(OOC - sorry, I didn't make it clear, those bodies are of the neogi.)
As Samael looks over the bodies though, it would appear that these two spider-like creatures killed each other in a frenzy. And Nolla's search for tracks and information reveals similar, however it would appear a third creature was also here and was dragged away, though you find no tracks or drag marks leading much further as the ground becomes stone and rock moving out of this room.
"Looks like we need to move in deeper." Nolla says with a glance to the tunnels further on. "Can't say this makes me happy though..." She adds on as she swallows hard. "Shall we continue ahead?"
The dawn is dull as grey clouds hang low over the land as the four of you gather your things and ready yourselves to the trek to Cliff Crosser's Ranch. You hope to find Hurdig safe and well and help him by finding his workers and more of his livestock and goods taken by the Neogi. Those of you that have travelled this way before know the way to the farm easily enough.
After a little time and no need to try and find the path, you all come to the gate of the ranch and farm. Looking out over it, a low fog hangs just above the ground even at this time of the morning, and the silence makes your hairs stand on end and goosebumps cover your skin. The farmhouse stands much as you left it, solitary and silent amidst the expansive farmland.
Thavriol peered around, looking for, well, for anything.
Perception 20
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
"I don't like this." Nolla says with a frown. She tucks her black ahir behind an ear as she glances around as well. "Hopefully the farmer didn't get carried off as well while we were away..."
Perception: 17
18 investigation
9 perception
"if he has, we must find the path to pursue. if not, Let us reassure the fellow that the menace will be dealt with in a permanent fashion."
None of you see anything moving about the fields and as you get closer the farmhouse a crossbow bolt whizzes by you all. Those of you that have been here before will recognise Hurdig's voice as he mutters and curses, trying to reload his crossbow inside the house.
Thavriol ducks, bringing up his shield. "Hold, Hurdig! It is I, Thavriol. We were here about a week. We're here to clear out those tunnels!"
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
“Hold!” Nolla calls out. “It is just us, returning to deal with the creatures in that tunnel.” She will hold up her hands as she steps out more into the open. “Please don’t shoot...”
Samael has his hands up while having enough spacing around him to hit the dirt at the first sign of continuous fire. He only says "If you are the farmer, fear not; we have come to end the infestation of your lands by the monsters."
At each of your pleas, Hurdig stands and looks out at you all. "Is that really you?" He steps out of the house into view and you all see him for the first time. Those that were here last time would see a very different Hurdig. Tired and ragged, he doesn't look as though he has slept in the week you've been away. "There 'ave been things in the shadows fer days. Thought I saw some o' my workers at the edge o' my vision, but when I looked there were nothin' there." He shudders and shakes his head and as you all look out over the fields, you all get the sense that something is watching you, but you cannot see anything that would make you feel that way. "I'd appreciate ya findin' my workers an' livestock. But, I hope yer don't mind me stayin' in me 'ouse fer the time bein'?"
"perfectly understandable, but be on your guard."
Thavriol nods agreement. "Let us all proceed into the cave. Does anyone need a light?" As they move, he murmurs, "Tyr, Lord of Justice, show me the evil that lurks nearby."
The paladin activates his Divine Sense.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
“Ready when you are.” Nolla says with a nod. She looks pale though, as if this is a very very bad idea, but she is going through with it only due to having no other choice. This is despite the fact she marched all the way out here on her own volition and no one is actaully forcing her into the tunnel.
"i will, unfortunately; but, I can lend you a hend when the time comes." With that, Samael readies a Mage Hand and follows the party in, crossbow loaded, mace at the ready.
You all leave Hurdig in his disheveled state and make your way across the fields to the tunnel you first descended. As you stand at the entrance, you all once again have the feeling of being watched and each of you notice movement in your peripherals, though once again nothing is there.
Making your way down the tunnel, you pass the rotting, bloated corpse you first passed and find your way to the room you faced the two neogi and found the supplies for Hurdig. This time however, there are no neogi chattering away. Instead you find two corpses and a room in disarray.
ooc:Did Thavriol notice anything within his divine sense?
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
4 perception
"well, there are our missing men..." Samael shakes his head; "this makes no sense, Neogi are slavers, not killers; they prefer to deal out old for new rather than remove the stock entirely....."
15 investigation
Nolla is towards the front of the group, and waves everyone to stay a bit back, as she studies the floor for tracks, and to see if she can tell anything about what might have gone on here of late...
Survival: 17
(OOC - ah, sorry, I forgot to include a note about that.)
As Thavriol searches out with his Divine Sense, nothing pings on his senses out to 60ft and the tunnel system makes it hard to determine if its just the cover from the stone and earth or that there are no celestial, fiend or undead nearby.
(OOC - sorry, I didn't make it clear, those bodies are of the neogi.)
As Samael looks over the bodies though, it would appear that these two spider-like creatures killed each other in a frenzy. And Nolla's search for tracks and information reveals similar, however it would appear a third creature was also here and was dragged away, though you find no tracks or drag marks leading much further as the ground becomes stone and rock moving out of this room.
"Looks like we need to move in deeper." Nolla says with a glance to the tunnels further on. "Can't say this makes me happy though..." She adds on as she swallows hard. "Shall we continue ahead?"
Thavriol nods. "Yes...I'll take the lead." He moves down the passageway, senses alert.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric