Tests and Trials Game Thread

The ghouls are in disgusting rags, unfortunately and none have anything worth recovering.

Sword rejoices on reconnecting with Kroshav,

 Kroshav will head down with the others.

"If he's still nosing about, I don't like the idea of him getting into the Library and being skulking around, and don't like him being alive... or at least, not fully dead, while we try to work on the rest of Lurn's cairn. Don't like the idea of him following us there and ambushing, or waiting until we're done and digging him back up. If only we'd been able to kill him for good.", Kroshav's fists are clenching in anger as he's voicing his thoughts out loud to anyone who will listen.

Cladmir has indeed been helping Kroshav in silence as he has come to observed that silence is the best course of action while the Dragonborn is in a stormy mood.  

Hearing Kroshav's outburst, Cladmir also felt a rising anger.  If he was just a bit stronger he may not have fallen during battle and leave the paladin to face this force of darkness alone, and that may have allowed Kroshave to vanquished this evil.  Feeling a mixture of anger and guilt Cladmir replied,  "Then we shall find this fiend, Kroshav, and vanquish him.  I know not where he came from but surely if you and Turn had encountered him before you may know where he had scurried to?"

"I dunno... Met him and his relative on the road, and he asked Lurn a bunch of questions before trying to blow us all up. Brought a bunch of zombies after us, dead hobgoblins, but he ran off once we whooped their butts and killed his wife or cousin or sister or whatever. She didn't have a mouth. Might have called some demon shadow things on us, but it got kinda confusing. Jaq or Joe might remember more."

((@Rod, how recently was the run in with Gethren in game? IRL, it's been nearly 3 years and I have very little recollection of relevant details that Kroshav may have fresher in mind, even with his 7 INT...))

"If it's a spell he used to flee, and I see him try it, I can stop him."

Kroshav startles a bit at Ernos interjecting. "I didn't see him cast anything... but I do remember when I hit him, it was just dust and bone... can you do anything with that? That'd have to be maybe useful somehow, right? Some of his bones he left behind? Maybe we can use it to track him! Somehow..."

Kroshav will sprint back up and search the snow for the bone shards knocked off of Gethren before he departed. It's possible in the excitement of the fiery fellow being helpful, the dragonborn has forgotten his distrust... for now.

Sword replies,

 Joe adds some details, as she remembers, about the first meeting with Gethren. It was about three months past and she thinks he said the woman with him was his sister or something. She also recalls that Gethren had given Lurn a finger, probably a finger from Lurn's arm.

((Roll investigation to check the snow))

Ernos shakes his head at Kroshav's enthusiasm, "I'm no diviner, and if I don't see the spell cast I can't stop it.  Could be possessing an undead and using illusions to appear like himself, too.  Hope to be conscious next time, may have a chance to tell."  As the group descends into the library, the man grunts, "If you approve, I could stow his body.  Probably won't stop scrying, but makes him harder to get to.  Keeps him safer."

Kroshav Investigation: 2 (Sword able to help?)

"Stow?  What do you mean stow?"

Kroshav Insight: 18

((How long has it been since Ernos arrived at the Library? The less time between his arrival and Gethren's the more suspicious Kroshav is likely to be...))

((She'd gladly help but I'd say that Sword isn't entirely sure what she would be looking for, and bone fragments look a lot like stones to her. She wouldn't be able to grant advantage on that particular check.))

Kroshav goes and finds it tricky identifying bone from ice from stones. Also everyone has walked, or slithered, over the spot he was standing so things are a mess. The snow doesn't make it any easier either.

Ernos seems like he is trying to be helpful, though maybe there is something he wants? Maybe stowing means 'eating' where he is from?

((Ernos got there a day and a half ago.))

Cladmir, following Kroshav around saw the Dragonborn looking for something in the snow, offered an assistant.

"Are we looking for a piece of bone that may have fallen from this Gethren character?"

He will also help:  Investigation -- 6

"Yeah, right before he disappeared, I hit him and it wasn't blood, but a bunch of dusty bone. Don't think he just controls undead, but is one..."

He'll share some of his concerns with Clad while they are up top, alone.

"What do you think of Ernos? He got here awful close to when Gethren caught up to us... maybe an advance scout? Or just coincidence?"

Cladmir steps up and, on hearing what he is looking for, reaches down a picks up a yellowing bit of what has to be bone out of one of Kroshav's boot prints.

Cladmir looks at the yellow-ish bit and hands it to Kroshav before replying, 

"There have been many times where seemingly well executed plans turned out to be just a string of coincidences, and many other times where random events turned out to be ploys of  expertly hidden schemes.  In my experiences, even brilliant commanders and generals can't tell one from the other, but the ones that succeeded such events were always the ones who prepared for the worst.  

"I can't tell if Ernos can be trusted or not, but if you want to I can keep an eye on him and always be on guard against possible... treachery."

"I'm certainly no brilliant anything... and he did fight at our side against them, so I'm hoping it's just good luck that he arrived when he did... not sure how things would have shook out otherwise, he does seem... useful. I'll open my senses to him, make sure there's no stink of undeath on him... speaking of..."

Kroshav will open his awareness to scan the area for any lingering ghosts or invisible Gethrens.

Ernos taps his ring at the question of what he means by 'stow,' "Every genie has its bottle.  Can leave him in there, and only comes out if I go fetch him or the ring breaks.  Consider it."  With that, the warlock retreats into the relative warmth of the library, leaving Kroshav and Cladmir to their search (and private discussion).

Kroshav picks up the scent of ghoul and ghast, still lingering quite strongly, but nothing tickles his deeper sense that any undead are close by.

Ernos smells...warm? Not like fiends of undead though.

Cladmir simply nods to Kroshav.  It was clear that of course the noble paladin would strive to see the good in everyone and everything.  He on the other hand, would continue to keep a close eye on the newcomer.

Jaq comes up to Ernos, "How are you doing?  I've never fought ghosts before and I feel like I don't want to again.  It didn't take much from them to really take me down quickly.  But you fought well, what I saw before I went down.   Thank you for standing beside me."

As an afterthought he adds, "Well, as long as we are at a huge library, I am going to be reading up on some undead and their vulnerabilities."

Kroshav will take the fragment of bone that Clad found to the Librarian, to see if she can tell where Gethren is based on it or anything useful like that (he's still in a mood).