Above & Below

Effort focuses herself, and looks around.
Perception: 7 + Guidance: 4

Cadmael looks around too.
Perception: 17

Kurama Perception: 8

Brask Perception 8

Emerging from the earth, you look around at your new but somewhat familiar surroundings. To the west, a mountain range extends outward. Some of the peaks look similar to those in Oshait, stretching upward in distinct shapes. Looking in the other directions, though, it's tough to make out much to most of you. The entire sky is gray, with thick clouds slowly passing overhead with no end in sight. The monotone landscape doesn't offer anything that particularly stands out. The forest that stood to the east of the mountains in Oshait is a mass of dead, skeletal trees here, with spindly branches reaching upwards. 

Effort, perhaps with some of the strange magic still flowing through her, is able to parse out a few tiny details. In the rubble of the mountains, she sees a narrow path leading off to the south. As it disappears over a hill, it seems to grow a bit wider, resembling a seldom-used road of some sort. To the north, a light plume of smoke emerges from somewhere just beyond the horizon. It's thin, light gray tendrils are evident against the darker clouds. And watching the woods for a moment from above, Cadmael sees some crows flying just above the tree tops. Effort, listening, hears the distant howl of a wolf.

"It seems we're in a relatively similar geographic location to where we were in our Oshait." Kurama begins, stating the obvious.  "Though there seems to be some sort of 'sameness' that's different than our realm if that makes sense.  I suppose we should head down the mountain as well?  I'm assuming that if there are any civilizations here, that is where they would be located."  If nobody stops him, he'll begin to head in a direction leading down the mountain.

"There is a path to the south," Effort tells everyone, pointing it out.  "And to the north, there is smoke.  I would say, from a fire, but I cannot tell from here if it is merely a campfire or something larger.  Cadmael has also spotted some crows just above the treetops, and there are wolves in the woods."  She looks at the others.  "We can either go north and try to determine the source of the smoke, or south towards the path, and that little-used road."  She pauses.  "I haven't the faintest idea where to begin looking for a devil's heart, but the road less traveled is always preferable to me," she says, pointing south.  "What say you?"

"I think we need to discover what manner of place we're in.  Though it may be dangerous, I think we should go towards the smoke and potential life and figure out early what we should expect while we're on our journey here."  Kurama replies

Agreed, grunts Brask, scowling at the landscape.  He sets off with the others.

Consensus? Effort suggested south, but Kurama wants to head to the smoke...

Effort will grumble but follow the boys.

You begin heading northeast toward the tendrils of smoke rising up above the horizon. The winds howl and chill your bones as soon as you leave the somewhat sheltered valley where you emerged. Thankfully, the source of the smoke is only about a mile away. As you pick your way across the rocky landscape, the tree line comes into view. Unlike Oshait, this isn't a lush green pine forest, but a mass of dead trunks and limbs reaching upward into the sky. A few hold tightly onto dead, brown leaves that occasionally break free and blow away. 

The smoke is coming from a small cottage just inside the tree line. As you approach, you see the faint flicker of a fire coming from inside.

Everyone, roll perception.

Kurama Perception: 10

Effort Perception: 15 + Guidance 3

Cadmael Perception: 17

Brask's Perception 4

About as good as usual.  

Despite the time of day...which, actually, you're not entirely sure about...it's dark here. Gray clouds hang overhead and the monotone landscape make it difficult to orient yourself and be as perceptive as you might otherwise be. The cottage, it seems, is probably two or three rooms in size. There is a garden plot next to it, with only a few sorry looking green leaves poking out. They appear to be potato plants. There doesn't seem to be a road or path leading up to the house, though you can see that there are a few slightly worn portions of the surrounding ground. A stack of firewood sits nearby, along with a tiny shed at the corner of the garden. You can't make out anything through the windows other than the subtle flicker of a fire. 

"Well.  You wanted to find signs of life, and here we are," Effort says to Kurama.  "One of us should probably try knocking on the door.  Though perhaps, we should see what sort of people are populating this place first."

With a whisper and a touch, Effort sends Cadmael to fly closer and peek through the windows, trying to see what manner of people live inside the cabin.

Cadmael Stealth: 18 + Guidance 2
Perception to spot cabin dwellers through a window: 20

Cadmael approaches the cottage quietly, perching softly on a nearby branch that has a vantage point through one of the windows. He watches the flicker of the fire for a few moments, and then suddenly sees a somewhat large, humanoid figure move across the light source. It simply walks from one side of the window to the other, as if it were crossing the room. Cadmael has a hard time perceiving any details. 

"I guess that logic makes sense.  Hopefully they're of the friendly sort."  Kurama replies to Effort as he walks up the door. Knocking, he asks "Hello anyone there?  We seem to be a bit lost and could use some assistance if you're willing?"  

(Forgot that we had the HD mushrooms so he'll have popped one at some point before knocking on the door: HD Mushroom [roll]1d20+2[/roll] 10)

(Oops sorry, the message popped up when I rerolled the health with a d8 instead of a d20 (Though I wish monk's die were that high XD))

As you approach the house, something sinks beneath your feet just before you get to the door. You feel it wrap around your ankle and pull downward, locking into place. As you struggle to move, one of the windows at the front of the house drops outward, and a large crossbow sticks out. 

"I suggest everyone stops moving or your friend here is going to become very, very uncomfortable," a deep, gravelly voice announces from inside. 

Roll a persuasion check - they heard your plea for help as you were walking up.

Kurama persuasion check: 5