That vampires "drain the life force" from their victims with their bites would be common enough folk lore. The truth\details of that claim would require a History/Religion check. With your high medicine check however, you noticed no bite marks. (:
It takes you around twenty minutes to gather enough dead plant materials(branches,grass,etc) for a sizeable fire. Once gathered, you pile them together and place the body atop, setting it alight with a tinderbox. By the time you have finished, the sun has set completely, and you find yourself in darkness save for the firelight.
With the fallen messenger laid to rest, Kal retrieves a torch from his pack and lights it. "You think we may be able to track whatever did this to him? I can take a look."He says to Silthras, moving to look for any prints or other signs of another creature being in the area.
The usage of Create Bonfire will shave off ~ 10 minutes if you still intend to provide enough fuel to completely cremate the body. If you don't add fuel, then it takes on time at all to get the fire going(clearly).
The map isn't really high enough resolution to denote "defensible positions." There are no large enough water sources to be noted on it either in this area. From where you suppose you are now(a little less than halfway to Feycrest), and with what you can see in the distance, you work out that it would take you roughly two hours to work through the woods and reach the base of the mountains to the north.
As Kal searches the ground, he doesn't find much else besides the obvious blood trail heading west along the road. There are plenty of prints on the path, but none seem distinguishable.
"Of course" Usul replies tossing the locket to Kal "That's why we took it. As we said, now we know who this person was." Then looking to the sealed letter he says "Might as well see what this says as well eh?" and looks to see how easy it would be to remove the seal intact.
Looking over the sealed envelope, Usul would be extremely confident in his ability to remelt the wax without creating the appearance of tampering. With this in mind, he very carefully breaks the seal and opens the envelope. The letter is dated five days ago.
His Majesty the King Lidae,
It is with no great pleasure that I contact you in this manner, nor do I consider myself worthy enough to speak to you. But my great King, I felt it my solemn duty to inform you of a threat to not only your most loyal subjects, but also your greatest material wealth. The undead of the Silvershard region have risen in numbers never seen in our lifetimes, all but overrunning the mines in recent days. We have petitioned the Baroness Anet Sholte for aid, but she has thusfar lacked the courage to send it, hiding in her stone keep with the entire garrison to protect her.
We have been pushed out of the mines, shutting down our operation completely. If the threat is allowed to continue unhindered, I fear they may be lost to us forever.
I beg of you, please send aid to the mining settlements of the Shimmering Peaks, before it is too late.
Your humble servant, Councilman Paten Elway of Feycrest
Reading the note to himself, Usul chuckles and acts as if the note has a joke or secret information, then playing a bit like he's about to put it in his pocket without showing anyone. Though the second anyone asks what it says he immediately tosses it to them and says "So! Do we camp here? Kinda creepy and smelly... but we're already got a fire going..."
Kal opens his mouth to say something, surprised that the gnome surrendered the locket so easily. His facial expression makes clear his realization that he had misjudged Usul, but he doesn't voice it. He wraps the ring and locket in a cloth, securing them in his pack.
He asks after the note, unsurprised by the contents and passing it to the next person who wishes to read it, or back to Usul if no one else does.
"It may be wise to move off the road. We make easy targets out in the open like this."
Silthras nods at Kal's remark, "Aye. And if he came from Feycrest, it may not bode well for the town, so arriving at night may be unwise. However..." he glances around, "...being caught out in the open is also a very bad idea."
When the note is offered, Silthras takes it and reads it twice. "I wonder if the baroness is deliberately withholding her forces, or merely incompetent..." he hakes his head, "...definitely need a word with the king" he says with a laugh.
He is lost in thought for a moment, considering the fire, his companions and the stink of burning flesh. "Leaving here gets my vote" he says, wrinkling his nose. "We may be best served by continuing along the road until we find something defensible. Or perhaps...did anyone see a good site in the last hours of travel?" he asks.
Silthras Survival roll for recollecting "good spots", if any: 18 (definitely not his trong suit)
"It will be dark soon."Usul says "And we do not think it's a good idea to keep traveling. But you're right... this place is stinky. And perhaps we can find something better as we walk."Usul then packs the note to the king in his pocket to reseal later when they finally decide to set up camp and heads over to his dog, ready to hop on and travel a bit more if the group decides
Silthras The road so far has been fairly monotonous, with nothing but an endless sea of coniferous trees on each side. That being said, you do realize that if you were to split off north into the woods, you would possibly run into some hills or cave systems as you closed in on the mountains. Either would afford you a more defensible(or hidden) position than sitting in the road.
"We've lost the light of day, but I think a few more hours forward would do us well. We can split off into the woods and find a place for an adequate campsite when we get tired."
The party continues on for the next hours in darkness, moving cautiously through the woods just off the road. You're able to make good progress, noticing some of the undead before they notice you, enabling you to move around them quietly. Sleeping in shifts, and with no campfire to combat the cold, you spend an uncomfortable night in the wilderness.
Come next morning, after a short meal consisting of cold food you set off once more. The mountains grow ever larger as you near the mining settlement, and occasionally you can see the glint of exposed silver veins along the sides. Your pace slows considerably as you near the town, as the undead become more frequent and more difficult to avoid.
The treeline on either side of the road eventually breaks, as the surrounding woods were cleared for farmland to sustain the settlement. The fields are bereft of workers however, the only moving beings you see are the occasional lumbering undead in the distance. Two miles further and the farmland gives way to mostly cleared, but unfarmed land. There are still plenty of trees sprinkled around to use as cover, and a few homesteads space apart.
Soon, Feycrest itself comes in sight, a clustering of wood buildings occupying perhaps a few acres of land. On the other side of the settlement, you can see the road continues uphill, leading into the mountains. The main road you're on will lead directly into the settlement's center, but even from here you can see it is almost entirely overrun with undead. There are the beginnings of makeshift fortifications around the settlement's perimeter, but there are several gaps - the work clearly unfinished.
Stopping outside of town, Usul looks ahead, and seeing the same as everyone else says "So... how are we supposed to find the mine entrance through that? We're not even sure we'd be able to stay hidden enough..."He gets a bit lower on his dog as he says this comforting the poor thing who is clearly not happy about the smells of death constantly around them.
He nods at Usul's remark. "Knowing if anyone lives is the first order of business."
Observing the town for a time he tries to determine if there are signs of life, looking at the areas not yet overrun for smoke from chimneys, or places that the undead seem to be attacking.
"If anyone yet lives, we may need a distraction to get to them...unless we can sneak past."
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OoC:
That vampires "drain the life force" from their victims with their bites would be common enough folk lore. The truth\details of that claim would require a History/Religion check. With your high medicine check however, you noticed no bite marks. (:
It takes you around twenty minutes to gather enough dead plant materials(branches,grass,etc) for a sizeable fire. Once gathered, you pile them together and place the body atop, setting it alight with a tinderbox. By the time you have finished, the sun has set completely, and you find yourself in darkness save for the firelight.
(time of day is roughly 530pm equivalent)
With the fallen messenger laid to rest, Kal retrieves a torch from his pack and lights it. "You think we may be able to track whatever did this to him? I can take a look." He says to Silthras, moving to look for any prints or other signs of another creature being in the area.
Survival w/help - 7
If it speeds up the process, Silthras will use Create Bonfire to get it going. Ofc still needs fuel to sustain it beyond an hour...
He will then consult his maps for defensible positions and water nearby.
The usage of Create Bonfire will shave off ~ 10 minutes if you still intend to provide enough fuel to completely cremate the body. If you don't add fuel, then it takes on time at all to get the fire going(clearly).
The map isn't really high enough resolution to denote "defensible positions." There are no large enough water sources to be noted on it either in this area. From where you suppose you are now(a little less than halfway to Feycrest), and with what you can see in the distance, you work out that it would take you roughly two hours to work through the woods and reach the base of the mountains to the north.
As Kal searches the ground, he doesn't find much else besides the obvious blood trail heading west along the road. There are plenty of prints on the path, but none seem distinguishable.
"Of course" Usul replies tossing the locket to Kal "That's why we took it. As we said, now we know who this person was." Then looking to the sealed letter he says "Might as well see what this says as well eh?" and looks to see how easy it would be to remove the seal intact.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Usul Forgery(Intelligence): 20
Looking over the sealed envelope, Usul would be extremely confident in his ability to remelt the wax without creating the appearance of tampering. With this in mind, he very carefully breaks the seal and opens the envelope. The letter is dated five days ago.
Reading the note to himself, Usul chuckles and acts as if the note has a joke or secret information, then playing a bit like he's about to put it in his pocket without showing anyone. Though the second anyone asks what it says he immediately tosses it to them and says "So! Do we camp here? Kinda creepy and smelly... but we're already got a fire going..."
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Kal opens his mouth to say something, surprised that the gnome surrendered the locket so easily. His facial expression makes clear his realization that he had misjudged Usul, but he doesn't voice it. He wraps the ring and locket in a cloth, securing them in his pack.
He asks after the note, unsurprised by the contents and passing it to the next person who wishes to read it, or back to Usul if no one else does.
"It may be wise to move off the road. We make easy targets out in the open like this."
Silthras nods at Kal's remark, "Aye. And if he came from Feycrest, it may not bode well for the town, so arriving at night may be unwise. However..." he glances around, "...being caught out in the open is also a very bad idea."
When the note is offered, Silthras takes it and reads it twice. "I wonder if the baroness is deliberately withholding her forces, or merely incompetent..." he hakes his head, "...definitely need a word with the king" he says with a laugh.
He is lost in thought for a moment, considering the fire, his companions and the stink of burning flesh. "Leaving here gets my vote" he says, wrinkling his nose. "We may be best served by continuing along the road until we find something defensible. Or perhaps...did anyone see a good site in the last hours of travel?" he asks.
Silthras Survival roll for recollecting "good spots", if any: 18 (definitely not his trong suit)
"It will be dark soon." Usul says "And we do not think it's a good idea to keep traveling. But you're right... this place is stinky. And perhaps we can find something better as we walk." Usul then packs the note to the king in his pocket to reseal later when they finally decide to set up camp and heads over to his dog, ready to hop on and travel a bit more if the group decides
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Silthras
The road so far has been fairly monotonous, with nothing but an endless sea of coniferous trees on each side. That being said, you do realize that if you were to split off north into the woods, you would possibly run into some hills or cave systems as you closed in on the mountains. Either would afford you a more defensible(or hidden) position than sitting in the road.
"We've lost the light of day, but I think a few more hours forward would do us well. We can split off into the woods and find a place for an adequate campsite when we get tired."
“Then let us be off.” Usul says, hopping on his dog and spurring him forward. “No reason to wait around any longer.”
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Silthras nods, and moves into the forest with the others, keeping a close eye on the road and the forest around them.
K Per: 22
U Per: 16
S Per: 5
14
The party continues on for the next hours in darkness, moving cautiously through the woods just off the road. You're able to make good progress, noticing some of the undead before they notice you, enabling you to move around them quietly. Sleeping in shifts, and with no campfire to combat the cold, you spend an uncomfortable night in the wilderness.
Come next morning, after a short meal consisting of cold food you set off once more. The mountains grow ever larger as you near the mining settlement, and occasionally you can see the glint of exposed silver veins along the sides. Your pace slows considerably as you near the town, as the undead become more frequent and more difficult to avoid.
The treeline on either side of the road eventually breaks, as the surrounding woods were cleared for farmland to sustain the settlement. The fields are bereft of workers however, the only moving beings you see are the occasional lumbering undead in the distance. Two miles further and the farmland gives way to mostly cleared, but unfarmed land. There are still plenty of trees sprinkled around to use as cover, and a few homesteads space apart.
Soon, Feycrest itself comes in sight, a clustering of wood buildings occupying perhaps a few acres of land. On the other side of the settlement, you can see the road continues uphill, leading into the mountains. The main road you're on will lead directly into the settlement's center, but even from here you can see it is almost entirely overrun with undead. There are the beginnings of makeshift fortifications around the settlement's perimeter, but there are several gaps - the work clearly unfinished.
Stopping outside of town, Usul looks ahead, and seeing the same as everyone else says "So... how are we supposed to find the mine entrance through that? We're not even sure we'd be able to stay hidden enough..." He gets a bit lower on his dog as he says this comforting the poor thing who is clearly not happy about the smells of death constantly around them.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Silthras will have done what he can to warm food and drink and clothing, to help everyone get through the night.
Prestidigitation
He nods at Usul's remark. "Knowing if anyone lives is the first order of business."
Observing the town for a time he tries to determine if there are signs of life, looking at the areas not yet overrun for smoke from chimneys, or places that the undead seem to be attacking.
"If anyone yet lives, we may need a distraction to get to them...unless we can sneak past."