OOC Not sure why it worked after I did an edit? Please use for perception either 14 or 16 your choice. I think insight is the wrong skill so ignore.
[[ sometimes when you get a "dice rolls not available for this section" doing an edit after adding something like an extra '.' helps. ]]
Karl takes a look at the tracks after Caine points them out. "Hmm." he muses, "Me not sure at top of head. Perhaps humanoids with symbiotic relationship to fauna cooperate together?"
Nature: 19+4 = 23 //trying to see if there's any more specifics on what type of animal left the tracks or which type of humanoids; if there's traces of necromancy particularly want to see if they're living humanoids
On the matter of the necromancy and boots he puts a hand on his head in thought. "Boots man vanish without trace. Look like teleportation magic? Necromancy mean no good. Sulphur make me think fireball used. Anyone see burny trees?"
//help Garrin with arcana check to deduce what's going on.
Looking at the tracks you see some deer, some dog or coyote type tracks. The humonoid tracks are hard to tell, but seem likely from a dwarf sized person
From Pahua’s crow you know the turn off to the farm must be just up the road. You can continue on the road to get there or you can follow the trail into the brush and trees to approach the farm that way.
Looking at the others, Caine shrugs his shoulders, then looking at the two potential paths, states, " I'll walk the path, if no one cares, not sure which is better route."
He considers what he's learned about the history of this area. Perhaps are there any dwarven tales of the place? Whether regular dwarves from Mt. Abernath or other nearby heights. Perhaps duergar from the underdark?
"Me hypothesize road may be entrapped." Karl says of what Pahua's crow has found. "Me propose us take to woods. Will circumvent traps laid on road while us navigate to farmstead's location. Us can also create trap of our own." He smiles and pulls out two hunting traps from his backpack before stowing them once more.
Whichever way the group takes, Karl will volunteer to be towards the front. [[ though will note his stealth is terribly high. Only +2 with disadvantage from scale mail. So there is a case to be made for Garrin and Karl to be in back. Although our perceptions aren't the highest for staving off surprises from there. ]]
Garrin crouched low beside the wagon, the faint green glow from his glaive illuminating the warped boards and the urn wedged between the crates. The smell of sulphur and rot rolled through the air like a living thing, catching in his throat. His eyes narrowed as he extended a gauntleted hand toward the object, not touching, but tracing the air just above it. The runes on his armor flickered softly in response. “This wasn’t conjuration,” he murmured, voice low and edged with tension. “Not teleportation…more like something called them away. Pulled, not sent.” He inhaled slowly, forcing himself past the nausea that clung to the necrotic residue. Then he closed his eyes and focused, the old discipline settling in. Logic, training, and instinct working in tandem.
(Arcana Check: 22, thanks for the help, Karl. Rolled in Gamelog.)
His mind turned over the details: the faint shimmer of green necrotic aura, the brittle clay mixed with hair and bone, a focus vessel, likely ritual in nature. The presence of sulphur…perhaps not from fire, but from the binding medium itself. “The bowl’s crude, but deliberate. Necromantic matrix built from organic material, bone, hair, maybe blood. The sulphur’s alchemical, likely a stabilizer.” His voice dropped as he leaned closer, eyes reflecting the glow as he continued to workout what happened. He glanced toward the boots standing untouched in the mud. He gestured to the urn with the point of his glaive, careful not to make contact. When Pahua’s melody swelled behind him, Garrin’s eyes flicked upward briefly, the song lightening the heaviness in his chest, steadying his focus. The familiar hum of inspiration mixed with the quiet vibration of runes along his weapon.
The disappeared people will pay little for a good show and mutilated animals means needless violence, both of which are bad for business.Pahua, who has been absentmindedly looking through the carts and boxes, stops when he hears about dwarfs. So that’s why these pants look to short for me. Hmmph. And only one person at the tavern took the bet. How unfortunate they were smart enough to avoid the bet. Hmmph. He adds his support for the path and readies his crossbow while scanning behind them for threats (Perception 20)
(ooc - Pahua chose an Owl to be his familiar since it has better fly speed (60’) and 120’ dark vision, in case that is needed)
Caine gets behind Karl (by 40' my speed) as they proceed down the path, his boomerang ready to let fly if needed. Caine is walking carefully, scanning everything but not necessarily stealthy (+6), due to Karl being in front. Trying to put my energy into observation and being careful while moving, not focusing on stealth and keeping that ~40' distance behind.
He considers what he's learned about the history of this area. Perhaps are there any dwarven tales of the place? Whether regular dwarves from Mt. Abernath or other nearby heights. Perhaps duergar from the underdark?
"Me hypothesize road may be entrapped." Karl says of what Pahua's crow has found. "Me propose us take to woods. Will circumvent traps laid on road while us navigate to farmstead's location. Us can also create trap of our own." He smiles and pulls out two hunting traps from his backpack before stowing them once more.
Whichever way the group takes, Karl will volunteer to be towards the front. [[ though will note his stealth is terribly high. Only +2 with disadvantage from scale mail. So there is a case to be made for Garrin and Karl to be in back. Although our perceptions aren't the highest for staving off surprises from there. ]]
From Karl knows of the area is that several of the Farms and permanent residents are dwarves, including the O’Mallery family, on of Knockon Woods long established families.
Caine gets behind Karl (by 40' my speed) as they proceed down the path, his boomerang ready to let fly if needed. Caine is walking carefully, scanning everything but not necessarily stealthy (+6), due to Karl being in front. Trying to put my energy into observation and being careful while moving, not focusing on stealth and keeping that ~40' distance behind.
during the walk Perception +3 19
You move through the brush and tall grasses carefully, senses sharp. You quickly reach the intersection where the animal massacre happened, a terrible sight to behold. The carcasses ripped apart, the heads smashed open, blood and gore drenching the area. Just before Karl steps into the slight clearing, Caine notices 3 strangish mounds of dirt and grass near the central portion.
"Me wonder if O'Mallery family might be transmuted by necromancy." mutters Karl after connecting the dots in his head between necromantic magic and dwarven foot-tracks.
[[ curious if that'll track with what Garrin might get from his arcana roll. And no probs, hambergler, you've got the highest arcana mod of us so it makes sense to bolster you. ]]
He switches his gear from holding his greataxe to donning a shield and readying a javelin. If they have distance on the mounds, no sense forfeiting that advantage if the mounds do something weird.
Ohh, gross. They are supposed to be disappeared, not ripped apart. Ughh. Pahua had not seen anything worth commenting on behind them during the walk to this death site, something that both reassured and worried him. Afterall, something had made this happen and whatever it was was probably nearby. He resumed scanning his surroundings, particularly those behind the group, with renewed vigor. (Perception 18)
"Me wonder if O'Mallery family might be transmuted by necromancy." mutters Karl after connecting the dots in his head between necromantic magic and dwarven foot-tracks.
[[ curious if that'll track with what Garrin might get from his arcana roll. And no probs, hambergler, you've got the highest arcana mod of us so it makes sense to bolster you. ]]
He switches his gear from holding his greataxe to donning a shield and readying a javelin. If they have distance on the mounds, no sense forfeiting that advantage if the mounds do something weird.
( you are pretty close to them, you nearly walked between between them before they were pointed out)
Looking at the tracks you see some deer, some dog or coyote type tracks. The humonoid tracks are hard to tell, but seem likely from a dwarf sized person
So Dwarf you say Karl? Hmmm.... Caine puts a foot near the track to compare his foot with the track. Interesting...very interesting.
Karl just looks around, scratching his chin and just not putting anything together to get any answers.
Perception +3 6
Even try a survival +3 if that can be used for tracking? 17
From Pahua’s crow you know the turn off to the farm must be just up the road. You can continue on the road to get there or you can follow the trail into the brush and trees to approach the farm that way.
Looking at the others, Caine shrugs his shoulders, then looking at the two potential paths, states, " I'll walk the path, if no one cares, not sure which is better route."
"Indeed. Dwarves is interesting."
He considers what he's learned about the history of this area. Perhaps are there any dwarven tales of the place? Whether regular dwarves from Mt. Abernath or other nearby heights. Perhaps duergar from the underdark?
History: 7+4 = 11
"Me hypothesize road may be entrapped." Karl says of what Pahua's crow has found. "Me propose us take to woods. Will circumvent traps laid on road while us navigate to farmstead's location. Us can also create trap of our own." He smiles and pulls out two hunting traps from his backpack before stowing them once more.
Whichever way the group takes, Karl will volunteer to be towards the front.
[[ though will note his stealth is terribly high. Only +2 with disadvantage from scale mail. So there is a case to be made for Garrin and Karl to be in back. Although our perceptions aren't the highest for staving off surprises from there. ]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny
Eggo Lass, Bone and Oblivion | Tendilius Mondhaven Paxaramus, Drakkenheim
Karl Erikson, No Guts No Glory | Chipper, Curse of Strahd
Silverwood Group 1 | Silverwood Group 2 | Hacking the Hackett
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 51, 10/23/25, Viva La Vida
Garrin crouched low beside the wagon, the faint green glow from his glaive illuminating the warped boards and the urn wedged between the crates. The smell of sulphur and rot rolled through the air like a living thing, catching in his throat. His eyes narrowed as he extended a gauntleted hand toward the object, not touching, but tracing the air just above it. The runes on his armor flickered softly in response. “This wasn’t conjuration,” he murmured, voice low and edged with tension. “Not teleportation…more like something called them away. Pulled, not sent.” He inhaled slowly, forcing himself past the nausea that clung to the necrotic residue. Then he closed his eyes and focused, the old discipline settling in. Logic, training, and instinct working in tandem.
(Arcana Check: 22, thanks for the help, Karl. Rolled in Gamelog.)
His mind turned over the details: the faint shimmer of green necrotic aura, the brittle clay mixed with hair and bone, a focus vessel, likely ritual in nature. The presence of sulphur…perhaps not from fire, but from the binding medium itself. “The bowl’s crude, but deliberate. Necromantic matrix built from organic material, bone, hair, maybe blood. The sulphur’s alchemical, likely a stabilizer.” His voice dropped as he leaned closer, eyes reflecting the glow as he continued to workout what happened. He glanced toward the boots standing untouched in the mud. He gestured to the urn with the point of his glaive, careful not to make contact. When Pahua’s melody swelled behind him, Garrin’s eyes flicked upward briefly, the song lightening the heaviness in his chest, steadying his focus. The familiar hum of inspiration mixed with the quiet vibration of runes along his weapon.
The disappeared people will pay little for a good show and mutilated animals means needless violence, both of which are bad for business. Pahua, who has been absentmindedly looking through the carts and boxes, stops when he hears about dwarfs. So that’s why these pants look to short for me. Hmmph. And only one person at the tavern took the bet. How unfortunate they were smart enough to avoid the bet. Hmmph. He adds his support for the path and readies his crossbow while scanning behind them for threats (Perception 20)
(ooc - Pahua chose an Owl to be his familiar since it has better fly speed (60’) and 120’ dark vision, in case that is needed)
Caine gets behind Karl (by 40' my speed) as they proceed down the path, his boomerang ready to let fly if needed. Caine is walking carefully, scanning everything but not necessarily stealthy (+6), due to Karl being in front. Trying to put my energy into observation and being careful while moving, not focusing on stealth and keeping that ~40' distance behind.
during the walk Perception +3 19
From Karl knows of the area is that several of the Farms and permanent residents are dwarves, including the O’Mallery family, on of Knockon Woods long established families.
You move through the brush and tall grasses carefully, senses sharp. You quickly reach the intersection where the animal massacre happened, a terrible sight to behold. The carcasses ripped apart, the heads smashed open, blood and gore drenching the area. Just before Karl steps into the slight clearing, Caine notices 3 strangish mounds of dirt and grass near the central portion.
Here is a basic map
"Me wonder if O'Mallery family might be transmuted by necromancy." mutters Karl after connecting the dots in his head between necromantic magic and dwarven foot-tracks.
[[ curious if that'll track with what Garrin might get from his arcana roll. And no probs, hambergler, you've got the highest arcana mod of us so it makes sense to bolster you. ]]
He switches his gear from holding his greataxe to donning a shield and readying a javelin. If they have distance on the mounds, no sense forfeiting that advantage if the mounds do something weird.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny
Eggo Lass, Bone and Oblivion | Tendilius Mondhaven Paxaramus, Drakkenheim
Karl Erikson, No Guts No Glory | Chipper, Curse of Strahd
Silverwood Group 1 | Silverwood Group 2 | Hacking the Hackett
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 51, 10/23/25, Viva La Vida
Ohh, gross. They are supposed to be disappeared, not ripped apart. Ughh. Pahua had not seen anything worth commenting on behind them during the walk to this death site, something that both reassured and worried him. Afterall, something had made this happen and whatever it was was probably nearby. He resumed scanning his surroundings, particularly those behind the group, with renewed vigor. (Perception 18)
Still scanning the area. Trying to remember if I have met the O'Malley's. Trying to connect all of these dots, but nothing is making sense.
( you likely soul have interacted with them at one point or another. They are fairly well known family in town.)
( you are pretty close to them, you nearly walked between between them before they were pointed out)
Karl, as you are on top of the mounds, do you want to see or check out what and why there are mounds? I can give you cover and protect your flank.
I shift to Karl's non shield hand. I stay vigilant and look everywhere,