Part 3: Investigating the Moathouse Ruins

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Jan 9, 2021 4:35 pm
charles.c.cowley says:
OOC:
Eltrezar doesn't have Detect Magic, and identifying is in itself a task reserved for high level NPCs. GM, please let me know if I'm wrong about the latter. Also, can you describe the bolts of cloth? Wizardly vanity is winning here.
OOC:
Yes some higher level NPCs could make an identification of the objects in question. Any PC or NPC with Detect Magic can as well. As far as the cloth is concerned, both bolts of cloth are of finely made silk. One is a canary yellow color. The other is eggplant purple colored.
At the suggestion that someone stand watch over Coulson's form the elf Kelric nods, stating he has no problems. In fact, he even suggests maybe someone should return to Hommlet with the fallen dwarf and see that he's delivered to the church Alice brought him to before.
OOC:
I'm giving you all an option here: You can have Kelric stand guard over the supplies and the dwarf, knowing he's still on hand to come running to your aid if things get nasty. OR, you can send him away with Coulson's body, whereby he'll still take a share of the XP that the party gained from slaying the brigands and giant toads, but he will not get a cut of the XP from any loot the party returns to town with on their own afterwards, but he also won't be on hand to come aid you if you get in a bind while you'restill exploring the moathouse.
In other words: He can stay and get an equal share of the XP earned through loot later. Or he can leave you and you split the Loot XP with one less PC.
Alice moves to the mouth of the southern corridor. The hallway itself is dim, but not impossible to see through.
However it's about 30' down the length of this passage before it opens to the room beyond and from this spot, nothing new is revealed. A greater amount of sunlight seems to brighten the room more than in the hallway, and Alice would recall that Gilly pointed out there is another hole in the wall in the southeast corner of the room, although this one was only large enough for a very small halfling or maybe a small dwarf to squirm through.

https://i.imgur.com/XA3hU1T.png

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Jan 9, 2021 6:16 pm
"Given that we have covered the perimeter and cleared out the main standing areas, I believe the best use of our resources is to have Kelric bring Coulson to town. He can make preparations for the burial, while we take some more time to explore. If there are no objections, I would be happy to stand guard over this treasure while the rest of you continue exploring this area. Or we can pair up and leave this chest unattended. I am personally not too concerned over it, as I believe it will be safe enough where it stands." Those in the room see the wizard take one of the bolts of cloth- the purple- and hold it against himself, comparing skin tone and color while also checking quality.
Jan 9, 2021 6:36 pm
It is of very nice quality. Eltrezar would guess that each bolt of cloth would sell for about 50-60gp, depending on if you had the right buyer, based on his close inspection.
OOC:
We have 1 vote for sending Kelric back to Hommlet. I'll give that at least a day or so to let everyone have a say in the matter.

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Jan 9, 2021 6:49 pm
OOC:
Angel favors sending Kelric back with the body. Regarding Eltrezar guarding the treasure, that depends on whether he still has a spell available that might be the difference in any encounter we may have. I can't recall if he had cast any spells or only daggers.
Jan 9, 2021 6:57 pm
OOC:
Eltrezar still has one Magic Missile spell.
Jan 9, 2021 8:50 pm
OOC:
Alice votes for Kelric to head back with the body, I think we can leave the chest unguarded too. Might need that magic missile...
Jan 9, 2021 9:35 pm
Kelric gives a nod of approval and lifts the body of Coulson off the floor, informing the party that he intends to bring the corpse back on the back of his riding horse, and that someone will have to bring the dwarf's warhorse back when they're done here.After securing the man on the back of his saddle, he gives you all a final nod and spurs his horse away from the moathouse.

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KCC

Jan 10, 2021 1:07 am
Gilly stands at the mouth of the fort, waving Kelric and Coulson off until they twist out of view.

She turns, and walks back into the fort, by the treasure pile. She checks her short sword and armor, quiver and string. Once she’s satisfied, she falls into line with the others, ready to investigate the fort.
Jan 10, 2021 2:43 am
"Now then. Alice, you seem to be the unofficial leader of this expedition, so feel free to disagree. I propose that Angel and Gilly explore together, and Alice and I. Each group take a hallway, and we clear this place fast. I'd rather be sleeping in a bed tonight than on the stone floor."
Last edited January 10, 2021 2:43 am
Jan 10, 2021 2:56 am
Alice thanks Kelric for his service this far and shakes the man's hand before he heads off with Coulson. Walking back to the group, she answers Eltrezar's query with concern.

"Mister Eltrezar, I value your wisdom and I am honored to lead this party, but I do not like our odds of survival upon splitting up. We do not know that all the brigands' are truly slain, and what of the spooks that haunt this place? While all may indeed be well within, the fact is we do not know what hides behind these doors and one of our group is perished, another is lost to the duty of his last rights."

Alice looks around at their dwindling numbers and sighs.

"As much as you would have me lead I would not speak over your wishes so if all of you left would have us split up to search then we go with my blessing as well, but as for my opinion, you know I am a prudent woman not prone to taking chances."
Jan 10, 2021 3:03 am
The wizard raises his hands in a socially defensive position. "I trust you to have more knowledges into tactics than I, given my expertise in alternate areas. If you think it best we stick together, I trust you. I do, however, believe that prisoner had been speaking the truth. He had no reason to lie."
Jan 10, 2021 3:18 am
"Fair enough for the highway men, but they said too that they heard sounds. These old castles are often haunted by the dead and if he told true about his men, then what of the rest? Forgive me if it make more work for us, but as I said I will not loose another of you so long as I might prevent it with my hammer."
Jan 10, 2021 3:24 am
"There are more doors to the west so we might as well start there. As I said, if Gilly and Angel wish also to split up then we will, otherwise let us begin."

Alice looks to the halfling and the rogue for their opinions, if none are offered then she proceeds to the first door in the western hallway.

KCC

Jan 10, 2021 3:39 am
OOC:
Last time we split up, Coulson got his throat cut. :,(

Best stay together.
Jan 10, 2021 4:14 pm
https://i.imgur.com/IekqrSE.png
Alice leads the way stopping at the first door on the left. She opens the door which gives a loud creaking that seems to resonate through the moathouse ruins. The room beyond is a 20'x15' chamber with the south east corner cut short at a 45° to make way for the stairs in the great hall.
Those that can see through the open door frame see that the room contains a few mangy pelts, stuffed animal heads, and shattered antlers, indicating that it held the former status of the castle's trophy room. Most of these artifacts have been thrown to the floor and tossed into piles, which lay about.
OOC:
If you guys can, I'd like you to come to some consensus about a rudimentary marching order. These are 10' wide hallways, leading to relatively small rooms via 5' doorways. Who is opening doors, who is moving into various rooms first, and who is taking up the rear can be important when exploring a "dungeon", for obvious reasons.
For the time being I went with the basic foundation of putting your heavier-armored "melee" fighters up front to open doors, the lighter-armored ranged fighters to take up the rear, and your super-squishy magic-user sandwiched in the middle.
This may not be the marching order you want to go with, or necessarily even the ideal one to use, but since I haven't received clarification on what sort of marching order you're using, I just made one up. Feel free to change this if you prefer.
Jan 10, 2021 4:35 pm
Previously posted as a secret note:
Quote:
OOC:
I'm going to be communicating to you in secret note for the time being, until the others discover Loken.

Loken has been awake for some time now, though he's not sure how long. Could have been hours, days, or a combination of both. For all he knows he may have been drifting in and out of sleep. The last thing he recalls was traveling on a road, though if it was headed to the Village of Nulb or Hommlet, he cant recall. A group of four men traveled past on horseback... fellows that looked like trouble, and he watched them cautiously expecting an attack. As the first three passed his eyes followed the first, who had brought his hand to the hilt of his sword and grinned as he strode by, and failed to see the last of the group smash him in the back of the skull with two powerful kicks from his warhorse.
When he came to, he found himself lying on a hard stone floor. His hands and feet are bound, he feels thick wads of cloth stuffed in each ear, and a rough burlap sack has been pulled over his head. In addition to his bound hands and feet, more rope has been wrapped around him almost like a spider's catch making it impossible to do more than squirm a few inches. The bindings are cutting the circulation in his arms, so that between the numbness of his limbs, the rags in his ears, and the bag over his head, he has almost no sensory input telling him where he is or what's around him. All efforts to wriggle out of his bindings, or even slither around are futile, and he begins to fear that unless his assailants come and release him, he may remain like this until he expires.
Jan 10, 2021 5:17 pm
Previously posted as a secret note:
Quote:
thats awesome. Better than I could have hoped for.
Jan 10, 2021 5:49 pm
OOC:
Marching order seems fine to me
Seeing that there are no hostile forces to be found in this room, Alice moves on to the next door and opens it.
Jan 10, 2021 6:11 pm
dominion451 says:
Seeing that there are no hostile forces to be found in this room, Alice moves on to the next door and opens it.
OOC:
There are actually 3 doors here, all equally distant from where Alice stands. One to her left, one to her right, and one directly in front of her.
Jan 10, 2021 6:14 pm
OOC:
The marching order looks good to me.
At the room with the hunting trophies, Eltrezar looks inside (from the doorway) to see if there is anything unusual about any of the animals.
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