Does it seem like the coast or edge of this pond/lake seems to extend for a great distance? Or like it’s a smaller body of water that is circumnavigable?
From your current vantage point, about 150 feet away from the lake and tree, you cannot tell how big this particularly body of water is. You can see the edge and the outline of the trees, but beyond that, you can't really see anything else.
"Well, I know that some trees will bend and wind to the envionment," Kess replied, listening to the whirring of insects and the croaking of frogs in the fetid swamp air.
Still... Chrys did bring up a good point; was this normal?
Kess looks around warily at the seemingly endless expanse of mire and wiry cypress. Does the presence of such a large and murky body of water in the middle of the High Forest strike her as particularly unnatural?
"Those trees look kind neat I think." Krackle says as he squints forward. "Do you all think that maybe some of these animals know what is causing all the slime? I could try to talk to one of them of you wanted."
Lumen walks up to the cypress trees, looking to see what might be around the trunks, anything in the lower boughs, or in the higher branches. "I don't see any boats, and we are NOT swimming across that, so either these trees are our destination, or we're walking around the lake."
Although Kess has never seen this exact kind of environment, she knows that the vast High Forest region is made up of a variety of ecosystems, which includes a variety of swamps, bogs and other wetlands. Still there is something that seems a bit off about this area with all the slime and the muck, it has a natural feel.
As you begin to approach the trees at the edge of the lake, you see what looks like a humanoid figure standing near the edge of the pond. It doesn’t seem to be moving, and from this distance it’s hard to discern any details through the thick fog. It almost seems lifeless, being completely still, and you see bits of its tattered clothing fluttering lightly in the breeze.
Right now, Lumen is about 50 feet away from the figure.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Lumen looks at his companions, raises his eyebrows, puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, and gets ready to target anything hostile or creepy with vicious mockery. When the others are ready, he steps forward and to the side, trying to get a better look at the figure, and also looking around for anything hidden.
When she is within 60 feet of the figure, Chrys clasps her hands together and prays to the Duin, hoping her divine sense will give her an idea of what the figure is... or isn't.
(Until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. that is not behind total cover.)
The air is eerie silent and deathly still, save for an occasional and very slight breeze that blows off of the lake. It's almost imperceptible, save for the few gentle puffs that seems to flutter the tattered clotting of the figure up ahead. The smells of mildew and rot fill your noses. The ground here is barren and lifeless, with only the withered stalks of slime covered swamp grasses that do the ground at your feet.
Lumen steps forward a little bit to further investigate this strange creature, that's standing in the swamp near the edge of the lake. With the open terrain between here and the two large Cyprus tress, there is nowhere to hide. His senses alert to any signs of danger, he thinks he detects a faint movement in the creature's head, as if it's following him with its eyes, although he cannot be sure. Perhaps it's just a trick of his own eyes and his own heightened fears.
Then, for a brief moment, the mist clears, and he sees that it's not a person at all, but a lifeless collection of torn clothes and old cloth that hang loosely over a jumble of sticks, twigs and hay. The head is no head, but an old stuffed sack that's made to look like a head, albeit a lumpy, grotesque, misshapen head. Lumen realizes that he's looking at what appears to be a scarecrow... much like one you might see in a farmer's field. And it is just then when you all begin to hear the cawing of ravens that appear to be circling overhead.
Meanwhile, Chrys, who is standing back just a bit, calls forth her Divine Sense...
Suddenly all her senses are instantly bombarded by the noxious, foul odor and terrifying sounds of evil that resonate in her mind. Her entire being is suddenly aware of a fiendish presence nearby, but it's not coming from this strange scarecrow, it's emanating from the lake.
"Ugh,"Chrys says, taking a stumbling step backward from the lake while she holds her head. "This is like the pool in the temple... jus' ten times worse. It ain't comin' from that figure," she warns the others. "There's some kinda evil fey hidin' under the lake,"she growls.
"I'm thinkin' we shouldn't be tryin',"Chrys manages to say, swallowing down her gag. "Somethin' dark is in that water, an' it's causin' all this rot in the forest."
Chrys snorts and hefts her axe. "Better than goin' in. But I ain't got the foggiest 'bout how to draw somethin' like that outta their habitat. Guess speakin' to that figure on the shore might be a starter," she suggests. "But I gotta tell ya, be prepared for an ambush or somethin'. Ain't no one standin' this close to evil without bein' somehow a part o' it, if ya ask me."
“What if we made a lot of noise, or I viciously mocked the pond scarecrow? Next step, using my storyteller’s logic, is throw something in the pond to rouse it. Maybe that’s the first step. Depends on the story.”Lumen scratches his head. He does agree to be on the lookout for an ambush and to prepare for a fight.
I'll assume that you're all standing in place, about 50 feet away from the scarecrow and about 50 feet from the lake. If you're looking at the scarecrow, then the lake is on your right. Let me know what you want to do.
"I ain't got no doubt that the scarecrow o'er there is bad news. I mean, there ain't even a farm out here! I'm figurin' once we get close it'll come ta life an' try ta jump us, jus' as creepy as it looks. But that ain't here nor there, 'cause if yer askin' me what the source o' all the slime is, it's the lake. I don't think a lone angry possessed scarecrow could summon a whole buncha spiders and overwhelm Phelannie an' the rest of the forest like it did. Feels like it's the work o' somethin' more powerful, an' that lil' guy o'er there might just be a distraction ta keep us from diggin' deep."
Chrys sighs. She hates the idea of leaving the Pie Pals' backs open to what might possibly become a hostile animated strawman, but her senses are screaming at her to run from the lake. Every hair on her body is standing on end from the foul sensation she felt emanating from it. And if there was one thing she knew about evil, it was that the further you wanted to run from it, the closer you were to the source.
Lumen looks at the ravens up above, trying to see if they are reacting to anything. Or acting unlike normal ravens.
"Yes, it's definitely bad news, you're right. Let's everyone get [action]ready[/ready] to hit it with fire and other things from afar if it moves. The scarecrow is what we can see, so let's deal with it first. It'll still be there if we try to disturb the lake first. Maybe we can knock one threat off the list before poking the lake monster. Shall we?"
He starts getting closer to the scarecrow, keeping vicious mockery ready to cast if it seems hostile. But on the way he's keeping his eyes out for anything weird, any traps, any odd thing on the way, the lake, and especially the ravens. Eyes peeled.
Investigation: 5
Another roll if he's got help: 22
Before I forgot, he also inspires Chrys before they go.
"... That ain't normal, is it?" Chrys asks one of the resident naturalists in the party, squinting at the trees. "Why're they all twisty like that?"
Does it seem like the coast or edge of this pond/lake seems to extend for a great distance? Or like it’s a smaller body of water that is circumnavigable?
From your current vantage point, about 150 feet away from the lake and tree, you cannot tell how big this particularly body of water is. You can see the edge and the outline of the trees, but beyond that, you can't really see anything else.
"Well, I know that some trees will bend and wind to the envionment," Kess replied, listening to the whirring of insects and the croaking of frogs in the fetid swamp air.
Still... Chrys did bring up a good point; was this normal?
Kess looks around warily at the seemingly endless expanse of mire and wiry cypress. Does the presence of such a large and murky body of water in the middle of the High Forest strike her as particularly unnatural?
"Those trees look kind neat I think." Krackle says as he squints forward. "Do you all think that maybe some of these animals know what is causing all the slime? I could try to talk to one of them of you wanted."
Lumen walks up to the cypress trees, looking to see what might be around the trunks, anything in the lower boughs, or in the higher branches. "I don't see any boats, and we are NOT swimming across that, so either these trees are our destination, or we're walking around the lake."
Although Kess has never seen this exact kind of environment, she knows that the vast High Forest region is made up of a variety of ecosystems, which includes a variety of swamps, bogs and other wetlands. Still there is something that seems a bit off about this area with all the slime and the muck, it has a natural feel.
As you begin to approach the trees at the edge of the lake, you see what looks like a humanoid figure standing near the edge of the pond. It doesn’t seem to be moving, and from this distance it’s hard to discern any details through the thick fog. It almost seems lifeless, being completely still, and you see bits of its tattered clothing fluttering lightly in the breeze.
Right now, Lumen is about 50 feet away from the figure.
Lumen looks at his companions, raises his eyebrows, puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, and gets ready to target anything hostile or creepy with vicious mockery. When the others are ready, he steps forward and to the side, trying to get a better look at the figure, and also looking around for anything hidden.
Stealth: 22
Perception: 10
When she is within 60 feet of the figure, Chrys clasps her hands together and prays to the Duin, hoping her divine sense will give her an idea of what the figure is... or isn't.
(Until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. that is not behind total cover.)
The air is eerie silent and deathly still, save for an occasional and very slight breeze that blows off of the lake. It's almost imperceptible, save for the few gentle puffs that seems to flutter the tattered clotting of the figure up ahead. The smells of mildew and rot fill your noses. The ground here is barren and lifeless, with only the withered stalks of slime covered swamp grasses that do the ground at your feet.
Lumen steps forward a little bit to further investigate this strange creature, that's standing in the swamp near the edge of the lake. With the open terrain between here and the two large Cyprus tress, there is nowhere to hide. His senses alert to any signs of danger, he thinks he detects a faint movement in the creature's head, as if it's following him with its eyes, although he cannot be sure. Perhaps it's just a trick of his own eyes and his own heightened fears.
Then, for a brief moment, the mist clears, and he sees that it's not a person at all, but a lifeless collection of torn clothes and old cloth that hang loosely over a jumble of sticks, twigs and hay. The head is no head, but an old stuffed sack that's made to look like a head, albeit a lumpy, grotesque, misshapen head. Lumen realizes that he's looking at what appears to be a scarecrow... much like one you might see in a farmer's field. And it is just then when you all begin to hear the cawing of ravens that appear to be circling overhead.
Meanwhile, Chrys, who is standing back just a bit, calls forth her Divine Sense...
Suddenly all her senses are instantly bombarded by the noxious, foul odor and terrifying sounds of evil that resonate in her mind. Her entire being is suddenly aware of a fiendish presence nearby, but it's not coming from this strange scarecrow, it's emanating from the lake.
"Ugh," Chrys says, taking a stumbling step backward from the lake while she holds her head. "This is like the pool in the temple... jus' ten times worse. It ain't comin' from that figure," she warns the others. "There's some kinda evil fey hidin' under the lake," she growls.
OOC: I made a mistake. Chrys detects the presence of a Fey, not a Fiend.
"The pond is bad?!" Krackle asks as he backs away from the water even farther. "You don't think it can make you do bad things if you touch it do you?"
"I'm thinkin' we shouldn't be tryin'," Chrys manages to say, swallowing down her gag. "Somethin' dark is in that water, an' it's causin' all this rot in the forest."
"Lovely... so... does that mean we need to draw it out?"
Chrys snorts and hefts her axe. "Better than goin' in. But I ain't got the foggiest 'bout how to draw somethin' like that outta their habitat. Guess speakin' to that figure on the shore might be a starter," she suggests. "But I gotta tell ya, be prepared for an ambush or somethin'. Ain't no one standin' this close to evil without bein' somehow a part o' it, if ya ask me."
“What if we made a lot of noise, or I viciously mocked the pond scarecrow? Next step, using my storyteller’s logic, is throw something in the pond to rouse it. Maybe that’s the first step. Depends on the story.” Lumen scratches his head. He does agree to be on the lookout for an ambush and to prepare for a fight.
I'll assume that you're all standing in place, about 50 feet away from the scarecrow and about 50 feet from the lake. If you're looking at the scarecrow, then the lake is on your right. Let me know what you want to do.
"I ain't got no doubt that the scarecrow o'er there is bad news. I mean, there ain't even a farm out here! I'm figurin' once we get close it'll come ta life an' try ta jump us, jus' as creepy as it looks. But that ain't here nor there, 'cause if yer askin' me what the source o' all the slime is, it's the lake. I don't think a lone angry possessed scarecrow could summon a whole buncha spiders and overwhelm Phelannie an' the rest of the forest like it did. Feels like it's the work o' somethin' more powerful, an' that lil' guy o'er there might just be a distraction ta keep us from diggin' deep."
Chrys sighs. She hates the idea of leaving the Pie Pals' backs open to what might possibly become a hostile animated strawman, but her senses are screaming at her to run from the lake. Every hair on her body is standing on end from the foul sensation she felt emanating from it. And if there was one thing she knew about evil, it was that the further you wanted to run from it, the closer you were to the source.
Lumen looks at the ravens up above, trying to see if they are reacting to anything. Or acting unlike normal ravens.
"Yes, it's definitely bad news, you're right. Let's everyone get [action]ready[/ready] to hit it with fire and other things from afar if it moves. The scarecrow is what we can see, so let's deal with it first. It'll still be there if we try to disturb the lake first. Maybe we can knock one threat off the list before poking the lake monster. Shall we?"
He starts getting closer to the scarecrow, keeping vicious mockery ready to cast if it seems hostile. But on the way he's keeping his eyes out for anything weird, any traps, any odd thing on the way, the lake, and especially the ravens. Eyes peeled.
Investigation: 5
Another roll if he's got help: 22
Before I forgot, he also inspires Chrys before they go.