@ithelion - as you walk over the bloodied ground, your thoughts drift to how it all might have played out here. An ambush, perhaps at night. At least a couple of humans, probably guards. They hit the wagon and took - or destroyed - the items they were transporting. The horse is another story. From your studies, you have read about cults attempting bloody rituals before, to ancient gods or beings long forgotten by history but never did you think you'd see it up close. The kobold tracks are puzzling to you and seem possibly unrelated. By the lack of scavengers and birds, you guess this attack probably took place last night. You sidle up beside Daemyar and look at the entrance to the forest. As you look closer, you notice some of the vines are woven together in a braid; you follow this back up into the trees, where you see a large and sharpened log attached to it. A trap! Luckily, neither you nor Daemyar have tripped it yet.
Ithelion steps back involuntarily, and grabs Daemyar by the shoulder to prevent him moving forward any further, then points at the vines and logs. "Is that ... is that what I think it is?"
Bodies, blood and dark rituals, and now a vicious looking trap.I should have stayed at home. Visibly making an efforts to focus on the present, she says "There's a lot more going on here than bandits. And...what were the kobolds doing? Much as I want to just keep going toward a safe bed, I think we should investigate."
Realizing Daemyar is probably the only one in earshot, she asks, "What do you think? You seem more suited to the wilds than I, perhaps you could track them? I can lend my eyes, if that helps..."
Daemyar follows the vines along to the sharpened log. “Hm. Expecting an attack. Means they’re not being subtle. Unsafe to travel. Yeah, best to go on the offensive, rather than wait to be ambushed.”
Ithelion nods, "Then let's see what the others think."
With that she turns back to the cart, and waves everyone over. "There is more going on here than simple robbery: there is a missing merchant, possible dark rituals...and a strange tale from the tracks that I can't make out. I think we should take the time to investigate, and possibly help the merchant...or at least lay them to rest."
"There is also smoke a few hundred feet into the forest, and a trap on the path, so we need to be careful."
With that she looks at the others, waiting for their answers.
Krom sighs, "I know ye want to go off and find who or what ever did this, but we already have a goal to complete. Ye can't let every over turned cart distract ye from yer goal. Once we get to Oakhurst we can let the locals know and they can send for guards to come deal with it."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
Ithelion looks at Krom, frowning. "We could go and get guards, but it would take a day or two by which time the merchant and his guards would likely be dead...or worse. They may already be dead, in which case you are correct. But if they are not, we should act now."
She glances around at the tracks, and then focuses on the horse again, and the thought of cults and ancient rituals.
Turning back to Krom, she says "I think there is more going on here, and there's a chance it relates to that which we have been sent to investigate."
Pointing at the horse, she says "This is no ordinary killing. And pretending it's none of our business seems..." she pauses, deciding it's unwise to call the dwarf a coward, "...does not seem like the act of one of those chosen by Adathar."
Krom faces Daemyar, "Ye always seem to think everythin' is out to kill ya. If it weren't fer something I'm lookin' fer, I wouldn't be workin' with a hobgoblin." He spits on the ground like the last word left a bad taste in his mouth. Krom then turns to Ithelion, "I am sayin' this is none of our business. Our business is to get to Oakhurst and be findin' this citadel and dealin' with that first. Fer all we know those dragged off are already dead, and if there be a ritual to summon somethin' it probably somethin' we can't handle." Krom puts the head of his warhammer on the ground with a thump, "I still say we go to Oakhurst, have 'em send word to the nearest large city to send guards or other adventurer's that are better suited to handle strange summonin's and we go deal with what Adathar told us to deal with."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
(( ooc: lol; where angels fear to tread...so goes the hobgoblin ))
Ithelion's eyes go wide, and she glances around quickly, trying to catch Garnet's eye, "Before ... before either of you say anything else, why don't we hear from Garnet? The way I see it, two of us feel we should at least investigate, Lorell doesn't seem to think there is a problem...but has not really made a clear choice; and Krom....Krom is against investigating for fear of delaying the larger task...though I do say this might be part of that same task."
Garnet considered both Krom and Daemyar's argument, the scene they stood in now was unusual but it brought to her mind the vision Adathar sent. "We all had dreams, visions or messages sent to us by Adathar." She paused trying to collect her thoughts. " In mine I was reminded of the consequence of my own mistakes. Inaction can be worse then action." She waved her hands at their surroundings "This is not normal, bandits or theives do not do this. What we head into in Okahurst could be worse, the very city could be overun. Adathar has sent us visions of blood and decay from the beginning. Here is it's first evidence." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I think we should persue, if we can not handle this. I doubt we can face what lies ahead."
Ithelion nods, "I had not considered that it might help us achieve our goal. That's a good point, Garnet. Three of us thinks it is the correct course, it seems."
She then glances around the group, her gaze finally settling on Krom. "So, we are agreed to investigate?"
You deftly disarm the holding mechanism, keeping the log suspended but unable to swing free to do any damage.
The forest is dark and offers little light but enough gets through that you don’t suffer any vision issues. The trail of blood continues after the trap but is mixed with dirt and pine needles. The floor is clearly disturbed and the path is easy to follow.
Marching order and how are you proceeding? I.e. are you being stealthy?
Krom sheds a single tear for the lost alcohol and follows behind Ithelion keeping her in sight but staying far enough back to not interfere.
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
@ithelion - as you walk over the bloodied ground, your thoughts drift to how it all might have played out here. An ambush, perhaps at night. At least a couple of humans, probably guards. They hit the wagon and took - or destroyed - the items they were transporting. The horse is another story. From your studies, you have read about cults attempting bloody rituals before, to ancient gods or beings long forgotten by history but never did you think you'd see it up close. The kobold tracks are puzzling to you and seem possibly unrelated. By the lack of scavengers and birds, you guess this attack probably took place last night. You sidle up beside Daemyar and look at the entrance to the forest. As you look closer, you notice some of the vines are woven together in a braid; you follow this back up into the trees, where you see a large and sharpened log attached to it. A trap! Luckily, neither you nor Daemyar have tripped it yet.
DM - And In The Darkness, Rot: The Sunless Citadel
DM - Our Little Lives Kept In Equipoise: Curse of Strahd
DM - Misprize Thou Not These Shadows That Belong: The Lost Mines of Phandelver
PC - Azzure - Tyranny of Dragons
Ithelion steps back involuntarily, and grabs Daemyar by the shoulder to prevent him moving forward any further, then points at the vines and logs. "Is that ... is that what I think it is?"
Bodies, blood and dark rituals, and now a vicious looking trap.I should have stayed at home. Visibly making an efforts to focus on the present, she says "There's a lot more going on here than bandits. And...what were the kobolds doing? Much as I want to just keep going toward a safe bed, I think we should investigate."
Realizing Daemyar is probably the only one in earshot, she asks, "What do you think? You seem more suited to the wilds than I, perhaps you could track them? I can lend my eyes, if that helps..."
Daemyar follows the vines along to the sharpened log. “Hm. Expecting an attack. Means they’re not being subtle. Unsafe to travel. Yeah, best to go on the offensive, rather than wait to be ambushed.”
Paladin - warforged - orange
Ithelion nods, "Then let's see what the others think."
With that she turns back to the cart, and waves everyone over. "There is more going on here than simple robbery: there is a missing merchant, possible dark rituals...and a strange tale from the tracks that I can't make out. I think we should take the time to investigate, and possibly help the merchant...or at least lay them to rest."
"There is also smoke a few hundred feet into the forest, and a trap on the path, so we need to be careful."
With that she looks at the others, waiting for their answers.
Krom sighs, "I know ye want to go off and find who or what ever did this, but we already have a goal to complete. Ye can't let every over turned cart distract ye from yer goal. Once we get to Oakhurst we can let the locals know and they can send for guards to come deal with it."
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
“Krom, whoever this is will come find us and kill us in our sleep. We should kill them before they kill us.”
Paladin - warforged - orange
Lorell makes it back to the group avoiding the carnage of the scene. "We could always have more people on watch." Lorell says
Ithelion looks at Krom, frowning. "We could go and get guards, but it would take a day or two by which time the merchant and his guards would likely be dead...or worse. They may already be dead, in which case you are correct. But if they are not, we should act now."
She glances around at the tracks, and then focuses on the horse again, and the thought of cults and ancient rituals.
Turning back to Krom, she says "I think there is more going on here, and there's a chance it relates to that which we have been sent to investigate."
Pointing at the horse, she says "This is no ordinary killing. And pretending it's none of our business seems..." she pauses, deciding it's unwise to call the dwarf a coward, "...does not seem like the act of one of those chosen by Adathar."
Krom faces Daemyar, "Ye always seem to think everythin' is out to kill ya. If it weren't fer something I'm lookin' fer, I wouldn't be workin' with a hobgoblin." He spits on the ground like the last word left a bad taste in his mouth. Krom then turns to Ithelion, "I am sayin' this is none of our business. Our business is to get to Oakhurst and be findin' this citadel and dealin' with that first. Fer all we know those dragged off are already dead, and if there be a ritual to summon somethin' it probably somethin' we can't handle." Krom puts the head of his warhammer on the ground with a thump, "I still say we go to Oakhurst, have 'em send word to the nearest large city to send guards or other adventurer's that are better suited to handle strange summonin's and we go deal with what Adathar told us to deal with."
Be excellent to each other, and roll for initiative dudes!
Daemyar sneers. “Coward.”
Paladin - warforged - orange
(( ooc: lol; where angels fear to tread...so goes the hobgoblin ))
Ithelion's eyes go wide, and she glances around quickly, trying to catch Garnet's eye, "Before ... before either of you say anything else, why don't we hear from Garnet? The way I see it, two of us feel we should at least investigate, Lorell doesn't seem to think there is a problem...but has not really made a clear choice; and Krom....Krom is against investigating for fear of delaying the larger task...though I do say this might be part of that same task."
"In any case, Garnet...do you have an opinion?"
Garnet considered both Krom and Daemyar's argument, the scene they stood in now was unusual but it brought to her mind the vision Adathar sent. "We all had dreams, visions or messages sent to us by Adathar." She paused trying to collect her thoughts. " In mine I was reminded of the consequence of my own mistakes. Inaction can be worse then action." She waved her hands at their surroundings "This is not normal, bandits or theives do not do this. What we head into in Okahurst could be worse, the very city could be overun. Adathar has sent us visions of blood and decay from the beginning. Here is it's first evidence."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I think we should persue, if we can not handle this. I doubt we can face what lies ahead."
Ithelion nods, "I had not considered that it might help us achieve our goal. That's a good point, Garnet. Three of us thinks it is the correct course, it seems."
She then glances around the group, her gaze finally settling on Krom. "So, we are agreed to investigate?"
Daemyar attempts to disarm the trap
thieves’ Tools 9
Paladin - warforged - orange
You deftly disarm the holding mechanism, keeping the log suspended but unable to swing free to do any damage.
The forest is dark and offers little light but enough gets through that you don’t suffer any vision issues. The trail of blood continues after the trap but is mixed with dirt and pine needles. The floor is clearly disturbed and the path is easy to follow.
Marching order and how are you proceeding? I.e. are you being stealthy?
DM - And In The Darkness, Rot: The Sunless Citadel
DM - Our Little Lives Kept In Equipoise: Curse of Strahd
DM - Misprize Thou Not These Shadows That Belong: The Lost Mines of Phandelver
PC - Azzure - Tyranny of Dragons
(( How about Daemyar in front trying to be stealthy, then the rest at a bit of a distance -30'? - also trying to be stealthy?
D
G K
I L
Edit: Maybe Daemyar should be further in front??
Elosa would move through the trees keeping Daemyar in sight, but behind him. ))
And Elosa?
DM - And In The Darkness, Rot: The Sunless Citadel
DM - Our Little Lives Kept In Equipoise: Curse of Strahd
DM - Misprize Thou Not These Shadows That Belong: The Lost Mines of Phandelver
PC - Azzure - Tyranny of Dragons
(( Edited above: Elosa between the two groups, in the trees keeping a wary eye on each ))
(( Daemyar should be at whatever distance he thinks he should be at, given that we are mostly a stealth liability... ))