Part 3: Investigating the Moathouse Ruins

"I see you two are taking good... care... let me just..." Eltrezar mumbles as he wanders off, avoiding the tears (possibly his own). He moves back into the courtyard and begins picking through pockets while scouting the general area. 'Might as well be of use in this time. And Boccob knows I am not one of comfort.'

KCC

Jan 6, 2021 12:50 am

Gilly swallows hard to dislodge the lump forming in her throat. Not daring to speak in case her voice cracks, she nods firmly to Angel.

Could have been me...

Getting the courage up, she says:

"Ahemm... Yes, we could look over the bodies by the hole and the room. Look for stuff!"

Last edited January 6, 2021 12:51 am

Jan 6, 2021 1:01 am

Alice answers Angel in regard to searching the area,

"I do not doubt your stealth in the slightest, but I worry that the man may have lied about how many of his band were inside. I would rather we search all together for the sake of safety. I'll not loose another man today."

Jan 6, 2021 1:14 am

Alice rounds up the bandits' horses and brings her own mount along with the others' into the courtyard so they would not wander off. She gathers around with her companions and notices the fallen mood. Rightly so, she thinks.

"We need to clear the fortress, that is true, but we have lost much today and I would not push any of you. We could just as well take Coulson back to the church to be honored and return to search tomorrow. If any of you would rather take our leave, please speak, otherwise we should start with the bandits' hold out."

Jan 6, 2021 4:10 am

funfungiguy says:

OOC:

Ok so as DM, I need a feel on the plan. All ideas are good and bad and none are good or bad...

Are you returning to Hommlet? Are you putting Coulson's body aside and continuing your exploration?

Are you splitting the party?

What is the party's consensus?

KCC

Jan 6, 2021 6:02 am

OOC:

Lets spend a few more hours here before heading back before dark. Maybe before... before dark. Because we have a body to transport.

But we set out at morning time, and Coulson gave his life for this. Best we can do is investigate and check we got the job done. Take some loot, find anyone else here (a possible in for other characters, but Hommlet must be good too). And then leave if we are feeling spooked by the tales we heard.

Jan 6, 2021 6:19 am

"Let us search these bodies for anything that might lead us to their master and then check the rooms they used as their hideout."

Alice proceeds to help check the bodies of the bandits in the courtyard, working her way into the great room.

Jan 6, 2021 6:26 am

OOC:

It's currently about noon or 12:15pm-ish. Will post any corpse-loot in the morning.

Jan 7, 2021 7:41 pm

It seems that the brigands intended to flee the attacking party in a hurry, taking nothing of monetary in their scrambled attepmt at escape. After going over each of the dead brigands, you find only the following items:
4) Crossbows
1) Lance
5) Long Swords
4) Short swords
4) Chainmail Armor sets
4) Leather Armor sets
1) Plate Armor set
Note of these items are in especially great condition, and likely won't bring in much for trade.

There are however 3 riding horses, and 1 war horse. Each of these animals have that curiously familiar "branding" on their haunches.

Eltrezar the Medium

cowleyc

Jan 7, 2021 8:03 pm

"All of this, it's worthless. Not even any coin. Given that they have been harassing the town, there must be more somewhere! Perhaps in that room they spoke of. I propose we collect anything of value before returning to town, and then head out. Back in town we can discuss furthering this investigation, including into whatever was spooking these simple-minded fools. But the sooner we can lay Coulson in the ground, the better."

Having spoken, Eltrezar goes to collect his daggers.

Jan 7, 2021 8:04 pm

Aldrusian Inactive forever!

"Nothing useful, and no documents on their bodies. Let us move into the rooms they were hiding in and continue our search."

Once the others are ready to move, Alice leads the way into the great room of the bandits hide out.

Angel Purafore

Jan 7, 2021 8:40 pm

Angel follows Sister Alice only slightly put out by her remark about his questionable stealth.

Jan 7, 2021 9:25 pm

The party gathers up in the "Black Chamber" the brigands were using as their hideout, where they begin ransacking the various bedrolls and other accoutrements the men were prepared to leave behind for the time being, and that's where the party begins to find some reward for their efforts. In each bedroll, regardless of whether it is rolled up or still spread out on the floor, you find the coin purse belonging into the bedroll's owner. Most of the purses contain only silver, but two of the bedrolls hide more. As you gather all the loot together, you find the following:

•98sp
•9ep
•2gp
•12pp
•1 citrine that looks to be of an unknown but decent value
•1 very expensive-looking gold chain

In addition, as you ransack the room, you notice the pile of rubble where the wall collapsed outside. In one spot it seems that the rubble has been stacked up in a manner that wouldn't naturally occur if the wall had simply fallen down.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Jan 7, 2021 10:48 pm

OOC:

Oh no Angel! I said I DO NOT doubt your stealth lol!

Alice gathers a couple of the larger members of the party and begins to dig out the stacked rubble the bandits were clearly using to hide something important.

Jan 8, 2021 12:00 am

The rubble is thick and heavy, and it becomes evident pretty quickly that it could take as much as a half hour or longer just to clear it all away if these brigands actually buried anything in the ground below...

KCC

Jan 8, 2021 12:04 am

Gilly will join Alice in the digging, to the best of her ability.

OOC:

Many hands make light work?

Jan 8, 2021 12:24 am

OOC:

Well with a clue like "the rubble has been stacked up in a manner that wouldn't naturally occur" we definitely aren't gonna stop ;)

Jan 8, 2021 12:32 am

OOC:

Alright, alright... Just making sure you were certain you wanted to do this.

Alice and Gilly set to work moving rubble out of the way, and thirty backbreaking minutes later you've cleared the pile away and exposed a circle of disturbed and overturned dirt. As you begin digging away the soil with your hands your hands hit a burlap sack, covered in holes and seen better days, but protecting something hard within.

As you finally dig around the bag and lift it out you find within and discover a beautifully decorated, inlaid box with ivory handles.

Jan 8, 2021 12:47 am