((sure... everyone. Faintly... more and more faintly the further away you are. Maybe Ben wouldn’t hear until he rounds the house, but he had a really high perception. I’ll leave it up to you))
Ok, Ben you would hear the noise get louder as you pass by the SW corner of the house, and Ess and Kay would hear it too as they got closer to that side of the house.
Ben, along with that sound, with your wide pass of the house you notice the following things:
- Your detect magic spell doesn't seem to ping anything back to you.
- You see a cluster of small mammal remains on the ground around the well which is at the northern part of the map. Mice, squirrels, etc. The well shaft, which descends 20ish feet, contains clean water.
- The house is 35ish feet tall from ground level to roof peak; the roof is gabled and has several holes where the slate shingles are missing.
- There is an outhouse, and a wood axe with some chopped wood as well on the ground around back.
- You notice several windows on the house exterior and most of the window panes seem to be broken.
- You notice there is a back door at the deck at the rear of the house.
Spoiler for Ash:
So yeah, you are up that tree to the SW on the map, with the box playing, and they don't see you!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ben returns back to the guys and explains,
"Something is eating small animals by the well back there and there is a back door to the place. I didn't see any ghosts but you hear that?"
He lowers his voice,
"Something is definitely playing music over there by that tree or just inside the place. Didn't see anything in the tree or window when I went around the place."
He nods to the southwest corner of the house and a tree before looking the other way and continuing,
"I guess a ghost could be doing it that but didn't Winston say it was screams and lights? I don't know much about vampires but they aren't big on day light..."
He tips his head towards the sun.
"Thoughts? I have to admit I'm not all that frightened by the place from a sad song."
((Does Ben recognize the source of whatever is making the music? He is proficient in all kinds of musical instruments so I will roll an intelligence check with his proficiency. If that isn't appropriate you can remove it!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
For @Ben:
((OOC: oh yes good call, and good roll. Ben would definitely recognise the sound. It’s seems to be some kind of wound musical box. The kind with a spring, and a cylindrical drum, slowly revolving and plucking metal tines, to produce notes. They normally don’t play for long. You can hear this one slowing down gradually but still playing for now...)).
For @DM
Ash will try to smash one of the remaining windows nearby (or hit glass at least), near the SW corner, near the music box. Advantage due to non-moving target? And straight stealth roll just in case:
Ben turns and looks back in that direction, dropping his voice to a whisper only Korrik and Ess can hear,
"That music is coming a wind up music box. So something is winding it. Maybe a ghost or maybe someone trying to get our treasure, just like on the beach. No offense. If the ghosts were breaking windows everytime someone came by I'd expect them to have run out before today. Let me check something."
He will then walk, staying wide, to see which direction the window was smashed, inwards or outwards.
Ben, along with the spoiler above (Kay can also read that spoiler it as we are assuming Ben tells Korrik everything. There might not be a need for spoilers between those two, unless it's something someone just tells one of them, etc.), I think that you would see the music box.
((Ash can describe exactly where it is. If it is on the roof, then Ben can't see it, but knows it's on the roof. That INT roll was solid.))
Ben cannot see anyone else though.
And then, yes, the window does crack and slightly smash. Nothing crazy, just a crack and a little smash. Enough to notice.
For Ash:
Thanks!! Yup that stealth beats their PP, so they don't see you shoot.
((A tiny music box, smaller than you have ever seen before, (around 1cm cube!) shines with a flash of silver in the light. It hangs on a fine silver chain, from a nail or a splinter of wood, around 11ft up off the floor, on the very south west corner of the house))
((yeah, it's more the glimmer from the flash of silver in the light that Ben sees than the actual box itself if it is that small. Apologies! Maybe a 20 would've given him the full view... but 19 is enough to see the glimmer and perhaps something moving along with it.))
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
@DM
So far, I believe Ash is unseen... if she can, she would like to spring a surprise attack on the party (hopefully getting a surprise round to act first?). After that it may move to initiative so I will roll that here, but maybe they will ‘talk’ first, we’ll see...
Initiative (if needed): 22
Ash drops from her hiding place and sprints (using feline agility trait if needed to move double speed! Like a blur!). I think the closest is Ben. So she will appear behind him in a blur of brown and black. Happy to narrate that, or for you to. I will also narrate a description at a suitable time.
From behind, Ash places a dagger at Ben’s throat, and one behind his back at his ribs by his heart. She will press just enough that he knows he has two blades on him in vital spots.
She will likely say (in a growling hiss) “Hisss.... Stop right there!.. This is MY house, MY mark! I saw it first!!... Now you all can just gather up your horses, and leave the way you came...”.
She will also overlay this with a second secret message in Thieves’ Cant saying ‘Are - you - from - the - varied - trades??’. (Meaning are they in any of the Thieves’ guilds or similar)
If you think it plays out more or less like that, feel free to let the party read this, or re-narrate it in your own words.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ok, here is how this moment goes down:
I have Ben 20 ft from the SW corner of the house, off Swiftwind. Ess would've been with him and off his horse Betty. Ess says "Dude... you got some good eyes man! I can barely see it even with you pointing it out."
Korrik, are you off the horse as well? If so, let me know exactly where you would be in this moment.
Ben, you don't know if it was the small box that broke the window or not by looking up at it.
Ess says "Damn I can give it a try, bro!"
Ben, you take aim and fire a bolt towards the shiny object emitting the music. Your arrow is indeed a deadeye-esque shot, and hits pretty much exactly where the little box is hanging. It's maybe the size of a big bumble bee and so you can definitely see it now that you're really looking at it and it's moving and making noise. The bolt hits the house. THUNK. It sticks in. (a natural 20 would've hit the object)
Ess starts to get his bow from his back to take his shot, but them something happens.
You all see a cat-like humanoid figure drop from the tree at the SW side of the house. ((I will let Grwobert describe what exactly you see when it emerges.))
Everyone please roll for initiative! Everyone is surprised for round 1.
Ess: 4Horses: 4
((Growbert - the rest of the stuff in your spoiler would not happen until your turn, which would still happen first though since everyone is surprised for RD 1. Just want to make sure I get the right order of things with the rolls first though before I post what you have written in there.))
So yeah, once the 2 initiative rolls come in from Ben and Kay, I'll start the first round and I'll use Growbert's desired actions in that turn/post for Ash's turn.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
((When Ben returned from his initial scouting...))
"Oh, that wasn't you? Didn't think it was your style..."
When the other two go to check out the dangling thing that Ben noticed, Kay will make sure the horses are loosely tied to the tree before following (so likely between Betty and Ben?), wishing he'd had some way to bring coffee with him in some sort of mug made for traveling.
((He wouldn't want to leave the horses loose, so if Ben waited for him to do that, or did it himself, he'd be there, if he and Ess rushed off, Kay secures the horses and trots after. Apparently from our rolls, none of us are expecting anything to happen.))
((This whole thing took more than a quarter of an hour since Ben circled the house then needed to ritually cast detect magic and then some more time to circle the house again. Then however long the music box scene took. Question is if Korrik would have just hung out on the horse until the very end of that.
I picture it as Ben looking down to pull out another bolt as the kitty hops down and Korrik is having himself a long blink.))
((Perfect, thank you Spider, I have updated Korrik's position on the map!))
Ess yells out "GAHHH!!"
Round 1: Ash, Horses, Ess, Korrik, Busren (Horses, Ess, Korrik and Busren are all surprised for round 1)
So... Ash will get their first move which I will describe next, and then it will be round 2, and then Ash will kick that round off. Ash gets back to back turns.... please feel free to add in any speech within these moments as well!
Here is Ash's first move:
Ash drops from her hiding place in the tree and sprints like a blur to Ben. The feline humanoid appears behind Ben in a blur of brown and black. From behind, Ash places a dagger at Ben’s throat, and one behind his back at his ribs by his heart. She will press just enough that he knows he has two blades on him in vital spots.
She will likely say (in a growling hiss) “Hisss.... Stop right there!.. This is MY house, MY mark! I saw it first!!... Now you all can just gather up your horses, and leave the way you came...”.
She will also overlay this with a second secret message in Thieves’ Cant saying ‘Are - you - from - the - varied - trades??’.
((sure... everyone. Faintly... more and more faintly the further away you are. Maybe Ben wouldn’t hear until he rounds the house, but he had a really high perception. I’ll leave it up to you))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
"What song is that Ben's playing? A lot more mopey than most of his stuff..."
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Ok, Ben you would hear the noise get louder as you pass by the SW corner of the house, and Ess and Kay would hear it too as they got closer to that side of the house.
Ben, along with that sound, with your wide pass of the house you notice the following things:
- Your detect magic spell doesn't seem to ping anything back to you.
- You see a cluster of small mammal remains on the ground around the well which is at the northern part of the map. Mice, squirrels, etc. The well shaft, which descends 20ish feet, contains clean water.
- The house is 35ish feet tall from ground level to roof peak; the roof is gabled and has several holes where the slate shingles are missing.
- There is an outhouse, and a wood axe with some chopped wood as well on the ground around back.
- You notice several windows on the house exterior and most of the window panes seem to be broken.
- You notice there is a back door at the deck at the rear of the house.
Spoiler for Ash:
So yeah, you are up that tree to the SW on the map, with the box playing, and they don't see you!
Ben returns back to the guys and explains,
"Something is eating small animals by the well back there and there is a back door to the place. I didn't see any ghosts but you hear that?"
He lowers his voice,
"Something is definitely playing music over there by that tree or just inside the place. Didn't see anything in the tree or window when I went around the place."
He nods to the southwest corner of the house and a tree before looking the other way and continuing,
"I guess a ghost could be doing it that but didn't Winston say it was screams and lights? I don't know much about vampires but they aren't big on day light..."
He tips his head towards the sun.
"Thoughts? I have to admit I'm not all that frightened by the place from a sad song."
((Does Ben recognize the source of whatever is making the music? He is proficient in all kinds of musical instruments so I will roll an intelligence check with his proficiency. If that isn't appropriate you can remove it!
Music source identification: 19))
For @Ben:
((OOC: oh yes good call, and good roll. Ben would definitely recognise the sound. It’s seems to be some kind of wound musical box. The kind with a spring, and a cylindrical drum, slowly revolving and plucking metal tines, to produce notes. They normally don’t play for long. You can hear this one slowing down gradually but still playing for now...)).
For @DM
Ash will try to smash one of the remaining windows nearby (or hit glass at least), near the SW corner, near the music box. Advantage due to non-moving target? And straight stealth roll just in case:
Sling shot at window: Attack: 19 Damage: 5
Stealth roll: 20
...
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
One of the few intact windows suddenly smashes, inexplicably, near the south west corner of the house..
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Ben turns and looks back in that direction, dropping his voice to a whisper only Korrik and Ess can hear,
"That music is coming a wind up music box. So something is winding it. Maybe a ghost or maybe someone trying to get our treasure, just like on the beach. No offense. If the ghosts were breaking windows everytime someone came by I'd expect them to have run out before today. Let me check something."
He will then walk, staying wide, to see which direction the window was smashed, inwards or outwards.
Ben, along with the spoiler above (Kay can also read that spoiler it as we are assuming Ben tells Korrik everything. There might not be a need for spoilers between those two, unless it's something someone just tells one of them, etc.), I think that you would see the music box.
((Ash can describe exactly where it is. If it is on the roof, then Ben can't see it, but knows it's on the roof. That INT roll was solid.))
Ben cannot see anyone else though.
And then, yes, the window does crack and slightly smash. Nothing crazy, just a crack and a little smash. Enough to notice.
For Ash:
Thanks!! Yup that stealth beats their PP, so they don't see you shoot.
Sorry, posts crossed.
Ben can see the box. Grwobertcan describe where it is. Ben please make an investigation roll for the window.
((A tiny music box, smaller than you have ever seen before, (around 1cm cube!) shines with a flash of silver in the light. It hangs on a fine silver chain, from a nail or a splinter of wood, around 11ft up off the floor, on the very south west corner of the house))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
((yeah, it's more the glimmer from the flash of silver in the light that Ben sees than the actual box itself if it is that small. Apologies! Maybe a 20 would've given him the full view... but 19 is enough to see the glimmer and perhaps something moving along with it.))
Ben will walk cautiously over, staying back 20 ft,
"Gentlemen, come take a look at this."
He points at the box,
"What do you make of that? I am going to guess that was the source of the music. Odd? Was something on the roof? Doesn't look very stable."
He looks a look at the roof where the chain is hanging then to the window to see if it was the box that broke the window.
Investigation: 8
"That box is probably worth a bit of money. You think you can shoot it down Ess? Maybe I can give it a shot as well."
He pulls out his crossbow and takes aim at wherever it is attached to (piece of wood/nail):
Attack: 23 Damage: 3
((Ben has a sporking deadeye!))
@DM
So far, I believe Ash is unseen... if she can, she would like to spring a surprise attack on the party (hopefully getting a surprise round to act first?). After that it may move to initiative so I will roll that here, but maybe they will ‘talk’ first, we’ll see...
Initiative (if needed): 22
Ash drops from her hiding place and sprints (using feline agility trait if needed to move double speed! Like a blur!). I think the closest is Ben. So she will appear behind him in a blur of brown and black. Happy to narrate that, or for you to. I will also narrate a description at a suitable time.
From behind, Ash places a dagger at Ben’s throat, and one behind his back at his ribs by his heart. She will press just enough that he knows he has two blades on him in vital spots.
She will likely say (in a growling hiss) “Hisss.... Stop right there!.. This is MY house, MY mark! I saw it first!!... Now you all can just gather up your horses, and leave the way you came...”.
She will also overlay this with a second secret message in Thieves’ Cant saying ‘Are - you - from - the - varied - trades??’. (Meaning are they in any of the Thieves’ guilds or similar)
If you think it plays out more or less like that, feel free to let the party read this, or re-narrate it in your own words.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Ok, here is how this moment goes down:
I have Ben 20 ft from the SW corner of the house, off Swiftwind. Ess would've been with him and off his horse Betty. Ess says "Dude... you got some good eyes man! I can barely see it even with you pointing it out."
Korrik, are you off the horse as well? If so, let me know exactly where you would be in this moment.
Ben, you don't know if it was the small box that broke the window or not by looking up at it.
Ess says "Damn I can give it a try, bro!"
Ben, you take aim and fire a bolt towards the shiny object emitting the music. Your arrow is indeed a deadeye-esque shot, and hits pretty much exactly where the little box is hanging. It's maybe the size of a big bumble bee and so you can definitely see it now that you're really looking at it and it's moving and making noise. The bolt hits the house. THUNK. It sticks in. (a natural 20 would've hit the object)
Ess starts to get his bow from his back to take his shot, but them something happens.
You all see a cat-like humanoid figure drop from the tree at the SW side of the house. ((I will let Grwobert describe what exactly you see when it emerges.))
Everyone please roll for initiative! Everyone is surprised for round 1.
Ess: 4 Horses: 4
((Growbert - the rest of the stuff in your spoiler would not happen until your turn, which would still happen first though since everyone is surprised for RD 1. Just want to make sure I get the right order of things with the rolls first though before I post what you have written in there.))
So yeah, once the 2 initiative rolls come in from Ben and Kay, I'll start the first round and I'll use Growbert's desired actions in that turn/post for Ash's turn.
The battlemap tab is updated.
((When Ben returned from his initial scouting...))
"Oh, that wasn't you? Didn't think it was your style..."
When the other two go to check out the dangling thing that Ben noticed, Kay will make sure the horses are loosely tied to the tree before following (so likely between Betty and Ben?), wishing he'd had some way to bring coffee with him in some sort of mug made for traveling.
Initiative: 8
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
"Too tinny for my taste!"
Initiative: 6
((Ben would have probably brought them both over with him to show the music box? Not sure if Korrik would be beside him?))
((He wouldn't want to leave the horses loose, so if Ben waited for him to do that, or did it himself, he'd be there, if he and Ess rushed off, Kay secures the horses and trots after. Apparently from our rolls, none of us are expecting anything to happen.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((This whole thing took more than a quarter of an hour since Ben circled the house then needed to ritually cast detect magic and then some more time to circle the house again. Then however long the music box scene took. Question is if Korrik would have just hung out on the horse until the very end of that.
I picture it as Ben looking down to pull out another bolt as the kitty hops down and Korrik is having himself a long blink.))
((Perfect, thank you Spider, I have updated Korrik's position on the map!))
Ess yells out "GAHHH!!"
Round 1: Ash, Horses, Ess, Korrik, Busren (Horses, Ess, Korrik and Busren are all surprised for round 1)
So... Ash will get their first move which I will describe next, and then it will be round 2, and then Ash will kick that round off. Ash gets back to back turns.... please feel free to add in any speech within these moments as well!
Here is Ash's first move:
Ash drops from her hiding place in the tree and sprints like a blur to Ben. The feline humanoid appears behind Ben in a blur of brown and black. From behind, Ash places a dagger at Ben’s throat, and one behind his back at his ribs by his heart. She will press just enough that he knows he has two blades on him in vital spots.
She will likely say (in a growling hiss) “Hisss.... Stop right there!.. This is MY house, MY mark! I saw it first!!... Now you all can just gather up your horses, and leave the way you came...”.
She will also overlay this with a second secret message in Thieves’ Cant saying ‘Are - you - from - the - varied - trades??’.
Round 2: Ash, Horses, Ess, Korrik, Busren
Ash is up!
Map is updated.
((Rod sorry, post crossed again. Yep agree about timeframe. Let me know if you guys think the positioning is totally off and I will fix))