|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel turns from the eviscerated troll to face the lithe vine-monster, only to see it dart around the corner they came from. Coward. "Yeah, we should probably have someone watching our backs," he answered, watching the cave warily, surveying the cavern. There's the door Alagand mentioned. "Let's hope anyone on the other side of that didn't hear our little adventure in combative cuisine," nodding toward the door. "Let's check it out."
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2010 03:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 01:47 |
|
|
Annetta "Sharp eyes then Alagand. If we aren't back before sunset, I'd really suggest not coming for us. Dying once can't be fun, a second time just has to be downhill from there." With that said, Annetta got her torch out, the ghostly flames casting their light about as she took a look around the troll's little encampment.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2010 01:04
|
|
|
Badger "Had there been anything else nearby, I would imagine they would have joined the battle. I do fear that our escapee will be back later, though." Badger too, begins to check out the camp, heading straight towards the troll witch and the source of primal magic she had felt earlier.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2010 09:49
|
|
|
Landra She nods at Alagand and Annetta, looking at the trolls' cooking pit with a measure of disgust that's perhaps hypocritical considering how much of that mess she was responsible for! "Yes, I'd much rather not have to walk back from here. Won't pretend we can't use you, but yes, let's not get you eaten by wraiths for the second time in a week?" She flashes the elf a smile and a wave. "Just maybe stay a bit longer than sundown? I suspect we may be down here for a while, if an entirely different hierarchy has sprung up in this part of the ruin." Having said her piece, and seeing that the other two women had already started searching the encampment, she instead looks around, with a grimace, for something with which to begin the tedious process of cleaning herself and her weapons off. Somehow, she didn't think the rags she used for her sword would quite cut it this time!
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2010 19:23
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt "Search the bodies, but make it quick. I want to keep moving," the elf said, tying a quick but well laid bandage over the gouges made by the trolls' claws. He hoped any further skirmishes would at least allow him the dignity to remain on his feet. "And I wouldn't bother with the polish; we're just getting started." It was almost a joke - she was very nearly dripping with gore. Spending a surge to get to 81/83, 10/11 surges
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2010 21:05
|
|
|
Landra "We may just be getting started, but I'd like to still have skin when we're finished," retorts the eladrin in the same half-joking tone - though the other half in her case was yet more grimacing. "There are apothecaries that go mad for troll's blood, but somehow I don't think bathing in it is what they usually recommend. Must be terrible for the complexion - I mean, look at them. Or, well, don't," she corrects herself at the last. "They were ugly enough before we got through with them." No point using a surge for me right now, I'd just waste half of it. Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Jan 28, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2010 02:07
|
|
|
1 surge, bringing Badger up to 83
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2010 16:37
|
|
|
Alagand smiles. "You stood by me when Tiamat's cronies came for me – I'm not gonna let you down. If you're still not back by midnight, I'll come lookin' for you." He starts walking towards the tunnel leading back to the surface, but briefly stops and turns around. "Until then, well, take care of yourselves, ya hear me? See you all soon." And with that, the elf disappears into the dark, and is gone. The cavern is, more or less, a typical troll lair, with little of value or interest to be found in it except for the heavy, unadorned double doors set in the far wall, appearing rather out of place, made of solid stone as they are. Other than this, as well as the fire-pit and the spitroast, there are the remains of the horses: beside the sizable bone pile their coats are stowed, the bodies having been skinned with moderate skill. No care has been taken to preserve them properly, but they ought to suit Landra's purposes well enough – certainly the animals are far beyond objecting at this point. There is also a hole in one corner of the cavern, covered with a crude stone lid; the abominable stench rising from it strongly suggests that lifting the lid would be a most perilous endeavour. Finally, assorted rags that might pass for bedrolls and a number of beer barrels bearing the stamp of a Mitback brewery, 'Walford & Sons', about half of them definitely empty, indicate that the trolls must have been dwelling in this cave for some time at least. With the troll witch dead, Badger can sense the vines in the cave beginning to die as the primal magic used to make them grow is no longer being channelled and thus fades. She is, at first, the only one to be aware of this, but after a few minutes the others also notice that the countless creepers are beginning to visibly wither and die off. Some source of primal energy remains in the cavern, however, which the druid quickly realises is the slender beech branch, still clasped in the troll's lifeless hand where her severed arm fell. Impossibly, many tiny, young leaves are sprouting from the branch, which looks for all the world as though it has been freshly cut from a tree; it obviously carries a virtue of thriving and rejuvenation within it. Not much in the way of worthwhile material possessions is to be found on the trolls' bodies, or what remains of them. A flask filled with a bright green liquid is found tucked beneath the broad belt of the armoured troll; its familiar smell, black currant and cinnamon, suggests it is a curative potion that will not only heal the injuries of whoever imbibes it, but can relieve him or her of various other ailments as well. Also found fastened to the troll's belt is an ornate, cast-iron key of mundane size and considerable weight. Its design reminiscent of the kind of artistry favoured by eladrin and other peoples given to the more visually pleasing aspects of craftsmanship, the key looks worn and, in fact, quite old. Purely in terms of its size, it might well fit the lock of the nearby stone door. Spring Renewal Totem +3 (PHB2) and a potion of vitality.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2010 20:48
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel frowns at the potion in his hand. "These trolls don't seem like the type to be brewing potions. Maybe it belonged to the horse's rider..." He supposed it didn't really matter. And that the troll would not be needing it anymore. Pocketing the potion, Taldrel turns to the only other belonging of note - the key. "Any guesses where this goes?" he asked sarcastically. He stood, and motioned the others toward the door.
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2010 17:00
|
|
|
Annetta "Well, I might be speculating a bit much, but I am going to guess... a door?" Sarcasm aside, Annetta walks to the door with the others, waiting for Taldrel to do the honors.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2010 06:15
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel approaches the door, key in hand, and listens for signs of life on the other side. +8 perception Clanpot Shake fucked around with this message at 05:35 on Feb 5, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2010 05:32
|
|
|
Taldrel listens intently at the door for a while; but whether it is because its thick stone cannot be penetrated by anything short of the sound of a roaring dragon, or simply because there isn't anyone or anything on the other side, the half-elf does not hear so much as a peep. Where'd half the party wander off to?
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2010 18:18
|
|
|
Badger Picking up the totem, Badger slides it into her pouch. She felt more attuned to her current, skull tipped totem, but perhaps this one could be broken down to power her many rituals later on. "There is, of course, only one way to find out."
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2010 20:48
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Having been unable to detect anything on the other side of the door, Taldrel nods to Badger, inserts the key in the keyhole, and opens the door.
|
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2010 23:30
|
|
|
Landra Having taken the time the others spent looting and restored herself to, at least, a state where moving on won't make her retch, the eladrin tosses a thoroughly soiled scrap of fabric into what's left of the trolls' fire, and jogs through the cave to join Taldrel and the others at the door as he is opening it. "All right, I'm ready," she confirms, taking up her position at the front of the party with one last wry grimace. "Ready enough, anyway. That inn in Farling and its bathtubs have never felt quite so far away."
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2010 03:47
|
|
|
Annetta "Lead on then," were the Sorceress' only words.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2010 06:56
|
|
|
Badger Grim faced and resolute, Badger readies herself to face what lies deeper in.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2010 20:23
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel leans into the door with visible effort, saying, "Landra, help me with this. This door is taking forever to open!"
|
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2010 23:55
|
|
|
The key turns easily in the lock, and after some straining, the stone door likewise swings open suddenly and with surprising smoothness – startlingly so, almost. Beyond lies a rough hallway, dug out of the earth with some measure of skill. Lit by regularly spaced, small spheres of magical light affixed to the walls, so-called 'sun globes', it runs straight for about one hundred feet before a bend in the corridor hides its further course from view. Three doors are set in its walls, two of them close to the entrance in which you are standing, the third a little farther ahead. These are all stone doors as well, not as large and heavy as the one you've just opened, but quite solid and apparently well-made all the same. No sign of any other living soul can be seen or heard. I've been having a bit of the old writer's block when it comes to this game in particular, but hopefully I'll be able to get things back on track now. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 18, 2010 19:50
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel walks as quietly as he can down the hall, motioning for the others to follow. He stops at the first set of doors, and listens intently. Percecption +8 to listen at the doors.
|
|
#
?
Feb 19, 2010 02:56
|
|
|
Taldrel hears nothing behind the door.
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2010 22:53
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel looks back at the group and shakes his head. He motions to the door on the left and shrugs, as if asking what they want to about the rooms. He doubted they would find much of interest so close to the troll cave, but it could be worth checking out. He didn't like the idea of not securing his way out.
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2010 23:43
|
|
|
Landra She meets Taldrel's look as he returns from his scouting trip, but in the end simply matches his shrug. "Better to make sure there's nothing behind them than to assume and be surprised on our way back," she murmurs, voicing the sentiment they shared before approaching the first door on the left and opening it fluidly.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2010 05:35
|
|
|
Annetta Impatience, tempered by experience, kept Annetta from saying much of anything. For some reason, this place just... she wanted to blast it down to bedrock and continue on her merry way. Which wasn't really her style, and so was ever so slightly alarming to the young sorceress.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2010 22:01
|
|
|
Flinging open the stone door as deftly as its weight and grinding hinges permit, the eladrin finds herself about to step into a largely bare room, again hewn from the cold earth, that nevertheless seems to be – or have been in the not too distant past – occupied, for half a dozen empty cots are spread in a fairly orderly fashion across its floor, along with a number of crude wooden footlockers. Close to the door a makeshift table, timbered provisionally from a tree stump and various bits and pieces of wood, has more obviously seen some recent use: four simple drinking cups of clay or metal, as well as a larger, brass jug filled partially with some sort of ale, still sit atop it along with a single grey die that seems to be glowing ever so faintly, while four old crates and chests, though looking like they could barely bear anyone's weight, appear to have served as chairs for whoever dwells here. Near the other end of the room, another stone door can be seen in the opposite wall. Same deal as in DoHA: if any of you have any retrains related to Martial Power 2 in mind (this goes chiefly for Dallan and Clanpot), write 'em up and let me know! 
MMAgCh fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Feb 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2010 03:08
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel steps past Landra into the room. He gives the room a cursory look-over, as a captain would inspect his men's quarters. He opens the nearest footlocker with his boot and looks inside. He absently signals for someone to inspect the far door. Search a footlocker. Taldrel have any idea who/what might live here?
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2010 05:06
|
|
|
Badger Padding over to the far door, Badger presses her ear against it, listening for anything before slowly pushing it open. +18 perception
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2010 06:06
|
|
|
Annetta Looking around the place, somewhat curious who might have left this place like so, Annetta shrugged and shook her head a little before turning back to the hallway to keep watch, lest the rooms occupants return. +14 Arcana via Sorcerous Vision
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2010 10:05
|
|
|
The footlockers contain various meagre belongings of a largely uninteresting nature: small parcels of trail rations, clothes in need of some mending, the occasional battered board game or deck of playing cards, entirely negligible amounts of change – nothing, in other words, that itself provides much of a clue as to who lives here. Certainly though, while this room is a far cry from a proper barracks or anything of the like, it is kept reasonably neat and clean, allowing Taldrel to cautiously rule out any of the...less tidy races such as orcs and gnolls. At the same time, if one disregards the table and the evidence of drinking and playing at dice that clearly took place on it, these quarters are rather on the frugal side, only just meeting even minimal living standards and suitable only to putting up someone disciplined enough to live in such conditions. Humans, at least if they are used to a more military way of life, certainly would not mind this if there were enough perks otherwise, and this kind of lodging is essentially what the average hobgoblin is raised and trained to expect, even appreciate; either race strikes the half-elf as a likely candidate. Pressing her ear against the cool stone of the far door, Badger listens intently for some time, but while she could swear that there is something just beyond her ability to perceive somewhere outside the room, the elf can't in good conscience claim that there is in fact anything, or anyone, on the other side of the door. Annetta, likewise, has nothing to report as she watches the hallway; all remains quiet.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2010 01:17
|
|
|
Badger The druid sighs and looks back to the others, "All I can say is that there is probably something lurking beyond. Which, I am sure we all expected." She shrugs and watches their search.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2010 12:03
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel nods to Badger, "Humans or hobgoblins would be my first bet. Or both. Probably some military training too. They probably won't be expecting us, so rushing them might be the best idea," he says, looking for signs of dissent. "Landra, take point. Badger and I will follow you in, then Annetta. If it's just these six, close the door behind us. We need to keep the fight in front of us."
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2010 03:59
|
|
|
Badger The druid nods, she had been a solitary hunter before meeting up with these people. Learning pack tactics would be the only way to continue.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2010 14:53
|
|
|
Past the door, you find yourselves not confronting the inhabitants of this particular room at all, but instead emerging near one end of another, long corridor. Extending well over one hundred feet southwards, its final, dimly-lit stretch is almost impassable due to an abundance of objects stacked on either side of the hallway, little more than still, shadowy shapes in the gloom at this distance. It ends in a single narrow door, barred from the looks of it; additionally, some kind of letters or runes are scrawled on it as well, though they're too far away for you to make out. Nevertheless, Landra and Badger feel distinctly uneasy just looking at the door, somehow; a strange coldness and sense of restlessness seem to radiate from it. In the wall opposite the room you've passed through, two more doors can be seen: one is quite close to the doorway by which you are standing, while the other is just barely visible down near the end of the corridor, hard to see in the dim light and very nearly hidden behind what must be crates or something of the like; both doors appear firmly closed. North of you, this corridor presently joins another hallway running perpendicular to it, its length impossible to ascertain from your current position. Right where they meet there is another door – and it is, Badger realises, from behind this door that the sounds she thought she has been hearing originate. Though the others are at this point generally aware of them as well, however, the keen-eared elf is actually able to identify their precise nature now that there is one less obstacle hindering her hearing: a conversation is being held on the other side of that door, which at least two participants are involved in as far as Badger can tell. There are some other background noises as well, some kind of murmur or rumbling she can't quite place yet. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2010 19:14
|
|
|
Badger Holding up her hand to stop the others, Badger moves forward, head cocked to the side. "There are at least two people speaking ahead, let me see if I can discover more." Slowly, she creeps towards the door, trying to distinguish the words being spoken.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2010 10:51
|
|
|
Landra[ Her response to Taldrel's observation is largely agreeable as she takes the lead, her voiced response limited to an almost predictably half-teasing comment. "Good guess, I'm sure. Shades of the old Guard barracks, maybe? I never managed to convince anyone to make the place look less like a prison." As they move forward and the noises ahead become clear, Badger's explanation draws no voiced answer at all - she's loath to give them away, and offers just a visible shift in posture, the inward turn of mind that always seems to find her before an expected confrontation, her own personal calm before the storm.
|
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2010 23:11
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt Equally desiring of keeping the group's presence covert, Taldrel can't help but raise an eyebrow at Landra's comment, "Do Shades keep ale in stock?" he whispered. The mugs in the barrack contained ale, not the freshest, but far from ancient. Somebody was here, that much was certain. He glances over toward Badger listening at the door. He catches her eye and waves her back over. He wanted to know what she could hear through the door. As he waits, he pulls Annetta aside, whispering, "The keep is south of us, presumably through that door. It looks to be magic'd-up. Can you get us through it quietly?" If they could lock that door behind them they could find whatever it was they came for and be out before the guards in the barracks knew they were even in the keep.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 05:38
|
|
|
Badger moves up to the door. To her right, nothing of interest can be seen; if the party had continued straight on when they entered this place, this is where they would find themselves. To her left, on the other hand, she can see another three doors, all of them closed, as well as another corridor leading away southwards. It is not what she has come here for, though, and so the elf carefully crouches against the door behind which the conversation seems to be taking place, listening. She can hear it more clearly now: there are only two speakers, quite some distance away from the door, but there is also a good deal of murmuring and quiet chattering in the background, gruff voices that don't sound like they belong to humans, speaking a language the elf cannot understand. What she does know, however, is that there are numerous others in the room besides the two conversing individuals – a dozen easily, give or take a few. "...didn't say Bane, I swear I'm telling the truth, Lady!" This voice, though somewhat high-pitched, sounds both male and human, although determining the race is far from a perfect science; it might be an elf, or a half-elf, or an eladrin brought up in a city somewhere – that's what the individual's inflection indicates, at least. "Rubbish," snarls the second speaker, whose voice, though almost impossibly gruff, is definitely female; something about it does not sit entirely right with Badger. "His brain's addled by the corpse-stink up there, I reckon; Karrek's never been quite right in the head. Or –" There is a brief, thoughtful pause. "Or perhaps he is hiding something from Ardranoth?" "B–but he said 'our master Vecna', Lady," the man objects haltingly, as though he is afraid of offending the 'Lady'. "Maybe that is w–why Nathrak chose to move into that old d–dwarven fort? Maybe he'd g–guessed, too?" There is, for a moment, silence. "I will find out soon," is the response of the 'Lady'. "Have a little chat with Karrek. If he is hiding anything from us..." she finishes with a low snarl. The chatter and talk in the background grows slightly in volume as this conversation is discussed. Meanwhile, as Annetta creeps down the corridor, the dark shapes in the stretch of gloom up ahead resolve into piles of earth, a wheelbarrow, various crates and some barrels containing a number of picks and shovels. The door itself, she finds, is indeed barred fairly tightly, with a number of solid wooden boards actually nailed across it. Painted on the door in a crude hand are a number of words – the script is the same used by the Common tongue, but the sorceress can't make any sense of what is written there; she surmises the language used might be Goblin, which she is only fleetingly familiar with, or else some other strange tongue she has never seen before. Channelling her concentration into a fine, probing thread of arcane perception, she then examines the doorway for any kind of magical wards or traps. After a heartbeat has passed, Annetta indeed becomes aware of a number of enchantments of guarding and forbiddance laid on the door: reasonably potent, they appear to be intended chiefly to repel undead creatures, though they'd have at least some effect on the living as well. What's strange, though, is that as far as she can tell, they are meant to keep the door from being breached or opened from the other side – were she and her companions to try and force their way through, they would most likely trigger none of the warding spells; at least this is the sorceress' quite educated guess. Assuming here that Annetta goes along with Taldrel's suggestion. Sorry for the HUEG map, but I figured it's better to have something to look at than just another description. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 16:26
|
|
|
Annetta Returning from her examination of the door, Annetta looks to the others. "Well, it's pretty tightly sealed up. However, whatever it is that it's sealed against, is much more on the other side," she whispered. "And from a guess at the wards placed there, whatever it is they are sealed against, it's neither living nor dead." Sorry, had a bit of a rush of school work that sucked up my time. Back now!
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 18:54
|
|
|
Taldrel Darlhunt "Almost like they're to protect those on this side of the door from what's on the other side... curious," Taldrel says thoughtfully. "Could we get through it?" He looks over at Badger listening intently at the door. Catching her eye, he waves her over. He wanted to hear what she had heard. It seemed their options at this point were to engage those in the room, possibly gleaning useful intelligence, or continuing through the warded door into the unknown without raising the alarm.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 23:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 01:47 |
|
|
Badger "There are many inside the room. Some human, some clearly not, the hobgoblin theory makes sense. This seems to be occupied by worshippers of Vecna, although someone did mention something about some other person being a follower or Bane. Or not, I had missed the beginning of that argument. One beastly sounding woman is addressed as 'Lady' and I heard the names Ardranoth and Karrek. Do they sound familiar to you?"
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2010 12:05
|
|