Chapter 1, Day 2: Into the Witchwood

Rurik's vision is quickly drawn towards the sources of magic in the area. The sword radiates chilly elemental energies, the gauntlets on the skeleton glow with the power of enchantment and the large trunk behind the iron grate that Xara is attempting to open contains several magical signatures. Two objects read to him as enchanted, and a third within the trunk radiates with holy magic.

Xara moves towards the locked gate behind which is the hefty iron trunk that Rurik detects magic coming from. She plunges her lock picks into the lock and quickly realizes that not only is it of ancient make the likes of which she has never seen, but it's well crafted and going to be very difficult to crack.

Corban approaches the blade and kneels to look over it. It's a well crafted bastard sword. Little motes of white light float off of it like a dash of snow drifting from the sky on a chill winters morning. As he nears it the blade starts to faintly grow blue.

Pawetha searches the body of the bugbear and finds no key, but does recover a medium sized potion bottle with a viscous red liquid that glimmers as it moves around. It only takes a quick smell for her to identify it as a potion of greater healing.

The padlock here is much easier to pick than the one keeping the large trunk secure. It pops open after a few minutes of fiddling. Xara opens the iron gate and peers into the alcove - noting the ten iron coffers that line the shelves. Convinced it isn't trapped she beings to inspect the coffers. Several contain credit notes that are no longer of any value (long expired and issued by an authority equally as expired), several contain coins. Many coins (in total 70pp, 2100gp and 2800sp). Finally, tucked into the bottom of a coffer on the bottom shelf she finds the official deed to Vraath Keep.

Xara returns to the more difficult lock keeping the group away from the iron trunk full of magic things, and finds it has not become easier to pick since the last time she tried.

Of course 'pocket' is an awkward thing to do with over 5000 coins. But I see no advantage to be had sorting out precisely how and where Xara has stashed the volume of loot, as there's no plans to scamper away with the lot of it (and that's the only circumstance it really would matter in)

Pawetha peers inside the building. There is a thin layer of dry straw strewn across the floor. On the eastern side is a dust-caked forge and a mound of mouldy straw. In the middle of the room is a battered table with a discarded caltrop affixed to a stick and a couple empty mugs on it. The rest of the building is divided into four stalls.

Pawetha's keen sense and sense of animals allows her to determine that this stable has been recently used, and it houses worgs. Typically no more than two, but she senses that it's not always the same two creatures. Perhaps a rotating patrol, or a resting place for scouts that aren't out scouting. The straw in two of the stalls is still faintly warm, probably last used within the last four hours.

The caltrop is a bit dulled from having been dropped repeatedly on the table. The marks and dents on the table confirm that inference. It's a fine single caltrop, not that a single caltrop will do much good.

The stack of books contains mixture of books telling of the history of the keep, tracing it back to the now long dead Rhestilor kingdom, and a few journals. The book Zaris picks up is one such journal. It only takes a few dozen flips before the books pages are blank. Turning back to the last entry Zaris reads:

"We've dealt with the giants. That is one less evil plague upon this wood of mine that will tarnish its reputation. I took a force of mercenaries and adventurers to their home in the woods. The giants were defeated and fled into the mountains. We burned their village so they could not return. Tonight is a night of celebration! I, Amery Vraath have done great deeds this day to rid the Witchwood of her dark heart and darker reputation."