Tests and Trials Game Thread

"I see nothing, but sound carries farther than the little light of deep night."

"Ealu hears something that way.", Kroshav whispers and gestures to the south, listening intently.

The faint sound of crunching snow is, now that the party has stopped moving, audible. As Ealu suggested to Kroshav, it doesn't seem to be getting closer.

Whatever is making the sound isn't moving fast and doesn't seem to be doing much about dampening the noise being made, though it would be hard to avoid for most.

((Is there any brush or cover nearby? How out in the open are we? Cover between us and the source?))

((There are trees and some brush between you and source of the sound providing relatively good cover. You are off the washout now and into the forest, which is mostly pine here, so you aren't out in the open.))

"I don't like not being able to see good in the dark...", Kroshav mutters, making sure that he and Ealu are at least not standing out against white snow.

((Just holding steady while the noise maker(s) keep moving away?))

Jaq will just let them move away. 

((Kroshav is, he knows he's not the best for trying to get eyes on them without being seen.))

Whatever is making the noise continues moving and after a couple of minutes is gone.

Moving on, the group don't encounter anything beyond the trail they are following until they come to a small clearing about a half hour later. The clearing is unremarkable, to except for the four very still forms slumped in it's snow. It doesn't take much guessing understand what the pools of darkness around them are.

((Does our path intersect with the path/trail of whatever was moving?))

Kroshav will rush forward to inspect the bodies.

Cladmir will follow Kroshav and stay close to the paladin, but instead of scanning the body he will pull out his bow and scan the area for hostile. 

Jaq will assist to try to find if there are tracks leading away from the bodies and which way they went. 

((Survival rolls from everyone.

No one was checking the bodies?))

Survival:  16

(( Nope... Cladmir's focus was not at all on the bodies. ))

((Kroshav was rushing forward to check on them. Was waiting to see what he saw or if a roll was asked for before having him do anything further.))

Survival: 8
Ealu Survival?: 17

((Ernos isn't much concerned over some corpses.  He's still not used to the matter of undead being a recurring problem.))

18

Kroshav moves over to the bodies, no worried about them to give more than a cursory glance around the clearing. Cladmir follows him and looks at the jumble of tracks in the snow while Ealu moves around the outside of the clearing with Ernos.

The bodies are all relatively close to each other, only a few steps apart, and Kroshav is able to identify that one of the bodies is of an older looking bugbear, hair mostly gray on its body. They looks to have been cut (with a bladed weapon) down from behind, given their wounds. Two of the bodies are younger looking bugbear wearing gear similar to Thir's and both look to have been pummeled to death. The fourth body is that of an ogre. It's back is clear of wounds, but the blood below it indicate it isn't napping. It's wooden club lays near its hand, covered in blood as well.

Cladmir sees a distinct trail coming into the clearing, probably the one used by all the other bugbear during their trip, along with three others coming in from slightly different angles to converge on the clearing. The ogre, and maybe someone(s) more, look to have come from one of the other three, but Cladmir isn't sure in the dark and with all the movement which and what came from the other two.

Eula and Ernos both see numerous trails leaving the clearing at different angles, most heading in the direction they party just came from but some head back the way they were heading. In places drops of blood are visible in the snow on some paths.

"Ogres? Think they're working for the dragon?", Kroshav mutters, his hands lowering as its clear he can't do anything for those fallen here.

((Presumably Jaq would have mentioned the ogres he spotted while working his way back with Thir? Maybe not? I think you had time for a quick chat if you'd like that.))