OOC: Uh guys perception maybe? Movement to figure stuff out. If I didn't emphasize before the howls are echoing and distant not nearby like inside the camp itself. Grant Nick already looked at them. As I said their wounds, even Haldur's, are from teeth and claws. They've been dead about a week but Haldur obviously minutes but the cold temps have obviously frozen his blood/ viscera etc...

"Yes, I see what you mean Nicknack." Hrain's voice lacks all emotion and he doesn't even look at the body, but instead stares out into the waste as far as the torch lets him see.

Perception 19

Quote from Vyriox >>

Nature check to see if Lyra can discern anything from the noises: 12

OOC: To Lyra it sounds like howling.

Hrain sees nothing but white, endless white as far as the eye can see ahead of him and behind the shapes of the huts and Folzi poking his head out of one just a few feet away. Nothing else catches his eye.

"I see nothing out there now, but that does not mean we are safe."

Hrain moves Haldur's corpse inside the hut using the torch to melt any ice holding him in place if necessary. As he carries the body inside the Paladin-Captain calls out, "Let them come, if they wish to attack the hut they will find us more formidable than a man alone in the night." As he places the body carefully by the edge of the hut away from where the others were sleeping he reaches out touching the mercenary's forehead, silent with closed eyes, before seeing where the others are.

     Folzi peeks his head out from the hut. He looks around for a moment as if waiting on something. "Well maybe they were as close as I first thought,"he says with some embarrassment. He emerges completely and begins pacing the vicinity trying to detect any nearby movement or sound. 

25

OOC: Y'all are taking Haldur back to the longhouse or are you dragging him to another him nearby? Tne longhouse as I said is midway in the camp. Haldur fell at the back where Lyra and Nick found the bodies of the villagers.

Folzi notices nothing out of the ordinary in the sea of white. The howling has grown distant and almost silent now. 

OOC: taking him back to our longhouse

Once back at the hut, Lyra looks at the shepherds. "Shall we...uhm...try seeting up some sort of a defense here?"

Assuming that the Long House has several doors (one to each familial area) - Pat says "Good idea, Lyria. Let's all move to back (far end) of the Long House and barricade, as best we can, the other doors. What think you Cap'n" he says specifically to Hrain.

(Is there any sort of crawl space under the longhouse?)

     Folzi follows the group back to the longhouse. "Just put the poor soul in a corner away from the fire. Don't want him thawing out."

"Agreed." Hrain places Haldur's corpse out of the way and with the others looks at setting up a defense. 

Ooc - How many doors/windows etc are we talking about, please say one door :)

OOC: The long house was never investigated guys, you have no idea what's there and not there.

With some effort the party returns to the longhouse through the double set of doors in the front. Carrying their fallen comrade inside they set him down in the long room. There's a cold fireplace in the centre and a gap in the roof above for smoke to escape. One end of the room there is a massive raised platform and a pile of animal skins. The longhouse itself is 70ft by 30ft. It has fur and animal skin hangings dividing space but from where they stand no one immediately sees another set of doors or even windows for that matter!! The longhouse is built on earth lined with bites of dried plant it looks like. A nature check could tell people it's composition as well as what animal skins hang all over the place.

Nicknack shakes off the cold and snow with a shiver and sneeze once he is back inside the longhouse.

"Well, I won't be falling asleep again anytime soon, so I might as well look around."

Investigation: 10 to examine the platform area and the pile of skins.

Nick thinks it looks like maybe the leader's living area. Their are tools here, better utensils, and even a fine goblet carved out of animal bone. The pelts and skins are superior too! He finds no weapons however or signs of a struggle tp leave. This space seems oddly unused. The items are placed in almost altar like ways. A memorial, Nick thinks.

Hrain examines the various areas for other obvious openings and assuming he doesn't find any...

"The space looks defensible, if whatever is out there comes back the doors and the chimney are the only ways in, unless I've missed something.  We could all sleep up here on the platform, and we would only need to watch a few places through the darkness."  Let is resume the watch as planned.  I believe Folzi and I were about to take over.  Despite the tragedy of losing Haldur try and rest, we have a long trip in difficult conditions and no guarantee that the destination will prove friendly to us. We cannot arrive exhausted."  The Paladin-Captain look to make sure Folzi is around and then begins his watch from the doorway.

Last watch resumes as the party beds down uneasily after the loss of their companion. The howls are not heard again and the early morning hours pass without another incident. The entire party finds a long rest to move forward with the day. 

OOC: I imagine no fire was lit so I assumed y'all just made a huge cuddle puddle near the leader's platform and slept there lol

Possible activities for the morning: Folzi examines his map? Someone cooks breakfast? Looking through all the huts for gear?

(The fireplace: Does it have a chimney column that runs all the way to the ceiling, or is just a pit with a hole above to allow the smoke to escape? How high is the ceiling? Is the roof flat or is it gabled/A-frame?)

     Folzi gives a nod to the captain. "Probably best not to wander too far from our shelter here. I may keep watch from above if y'all can give me a toss." He points to the hole where the smoke is escaping.

Quote from Saute_Monkey >>

     Folzi begins to prepare a fire with the wood that he managed to scavenge. He gives a nod to Hrain. "Aye aye, Captain," and he pulls a few logs back as requested. "So, did anyone find anything interesting out there? My knowledge of this village is that it has been used by a group of matriarchal, arctic elves. I haven't seen any icy, elf queen around here yet..."

OCC: Ruin my joke with FACTS Saute sheesh!! Think Native American longhouse. There's just a narrow opening so smoke can escape but snow/moisture can't really get in. Longhouse is 70ft long, 30ft wide, and the ceiling is 10ft high. So like WAY too small for even you master gnome. Trying to move the plot too but if you want wee hour action....

(LOL! Folzi doesn't cuddle. He's too bristly.)