Part 5: Return to the Moathouse Ruins

Apr 9, 2021 4:30 pm
Official XP and Time Tracker

It’s around ten or eleven in the morning when the party leaves Hommlet behind them, setting out to the ruins of the moathouse, where they intend to examine any as-yet unexplored rooms on the first level, and hopefully delve deeper down into the lower level, where rumors of strange sounds emanating from below have been whispered.
The fall day is bright and sunny with temperatures somewhere near the mid-forties (around 7°C), and a light wind blows dead leaves across the road in front of the group of travelers as they make their way on the road to the branch turning north.
A half hour has gone past with the party listening to the wind swishing through the tallgrass to each side of the smaller road, while occasional stronger breezes send the seeded heads waving in unison like waves across a vast ocean. The reed-and-cattail-riddled bog you must pass over to get to the ruins begins just a few hundreds yards ahead, though thankfully, this time there will be no need to bushwhack or cut away overgrown brush. Everyone is silent, lost in their own thoughts, preparing themselves for what’s likely to be more or much worse of what they’d suffered only a couple of days ago, when suddenly a buzzing, fluttering of wings, like that of a large insect or a small hummingbird vibrates past your ears and faces. Startled and brought out of your thoughts, you each look around for the source, but find nothing. Yet the reactions of those riding ahead and behind you indicate that you’re not the only one who experienced the strange phenomenon.
Just as you all calm down and prepare to move forward again, to your right, another vibrating buzzing races quickly past each of you, and your mounts, those not riding disciplined warhorses in any case, start showing signs of getting nervous, stamping their hooves a bit, trying to turn their hindquarters away from the sound, and giving neighs and grints of agitation.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Wandering Monster roll

Secret Roll

Secret Roll

Secret Roll

Secret Roll

Secret Roll

Apr 9, 2021 8:51 pm
Mal quickly dismounts and assumes a battle stance,

"Eyes up lads! Something is spooking the horses and it probably doesn't want to be friends!"
Apr 9, 2021 9:42 pm
Eltrezar, not nearly as battle-trained as his mount, stumbles down from the horse. His eyes, still keen despite his advanced age, dart around to find the source of the noise. A dagger appears in his hand, plain in design rather than his new bejeweled blade. Without drawing attention to himself, he begins to move towards the center of the group.

"Mosquito? I haven't seen them this large in this region. Stirge? Regardless, be on guard!"
Apr 10, 2021 12:04 am
Bors slides off the horse, drawing his sword, and grabbing his shield in one fluid motion. "Fear not, you have Bors with you now. Even more fortunately, my sword is named Bugbane and has sent many such insects to the tiny beyond."
OOC:
Narrator: his sword name changes to be relevant to whatever monster Bors is currently fighting.

KCC

Apr 10, 2021 2:28 am
Gilly claps Timber on the neck, and rubs her, trying to sooth the panicking pony.

"Shhhhh now. Shhhh...

She dismounts and draws her bow, just in case. Though she wonders if she could hit an insect with it. Better to simply shoo them away!
Apr 10, 2021 4:27 pm
"Heh heh... Tiny beyond"

Mal winks at Bors with a chuckle,

"Good one."
Apr 10, 2021 5:07 pm
As you prepare for whatever might be coming a couple of things happen:
First, Maloria suddenly hears the buzzing sound dart towards her, stopping only inches from her face from the sounds of it, a light breeze blows against her face and she instinctively pulls her head back from the unseen creature in time to hear a light swooshing in front of her, and she's sure she may have narrowly but accidentally dodged some sort of attack.
Meanwhile, as the others scan the air around them, Bors notices a number of largish dark shadows darting around on the ground near your own shadows' heads. They appear to be similar to what a humming bird's shadow would look like in respect to their flight pattern, but gauging by the shadows, they are much larger than a humming bird. Possibly the size of a loaf of bread and humanoid-ish in their distorted shadows' shapes. Six of them dart in and out in a manner that would suggest they are possibly aggressive, possibly tentative to approach, possibly curious, but somewhat hostile.
The man you hired from the trading post silently draws his longsword.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Secret Roll

Angel Wisdom roll - (1d20)

(16) = 16

Gilly Wisdom roll - (1d20)

(10) = 10

Eltrezar Wisdom roll - (1d20)

(12) = 12

Maloria Wisdom roll - (1d20)

(15) = 15

Bors Wisdom roll - (1d20)

(9) = 9

Man-at-Arms Wisdom roll - (1d20)

(8) = 8

Apr 11, 2021 6:05 am
"Does anyone else see these strange shadows? They seem a little unfriendly. Probably they sense my martial prowess and my sword, Shadowreaver."

KCC

Apr 11, 2021 7:01 am
One of them talks a lot. And one of them doesn’t talk at all... Gilly ponders at the new additions to their party.

"Plenty of shadows to swing at once we arrive, Bors! I’m glad we have someone here equipped to deal with them!" Gilly teases!

She draws her bow to fire on the next blur she sees!
Apr 12, 2021 3:36 am
OOC:
Make me a Wisdom roll with a penalty of 4, Gilly...

KCC

Apr 12, 2021 5:13 am
OOC:
Gillh had a low Wis on 9 at the best of times.
OOC:
Cool.
Last edited April 12, 2021 5:13 am

Rolls

1d20-4

(5) - 4 = 1

Apr 12, 2021 8:00 pm
OOC:
Actually when you make an Attribute check you want to roll equal or under the Attribute in question, so when there's a penalty applied, you add whatever your penalty is. So in this case, there was a penalty of 4, so you add 4 to your roll and hope to still roll equal under your Wisdom. In any case, it was a good roll as (5) + 4 = 9. You still passed!
As Gilly dismounts and readies her bow she stops focusing on the shadows on the ground and looks into the air around her. She notices what could best be described as a "shimmering" in the air at times, similar to the wavering haze that causes a hot object to warp the field of view around it. Many of these "shimmerings" seem to start focusing centrally on the silent man you've recently hired.
Those still paying attention watch as many of the shadows around the ground seem to gravitate around the man's shadow as well when again you hear the rapid buzzing and something whizzes by the Trading Post Man's face. He instinctively ducks back as Maloria did, but this time he lashes out with his longsword. In response to the man's attack, from the air around you a number of tiny enraged screeches emanate, though the exact location of their source is nearly impossible as they are invisible.
OOC:
Round 1 begins! I don't think we need a battlemap for the moment, on account of the fact that these assailants can't be seen at the moment anyway, so for now we'll just run this one theater of the mind. If that changes, I'll provide one as needed.

Turn order for Round 1 is as follows:
1. Maloria (7)
2. Angel, #2, #6 (5)
3. Bors, #4 (4)
4. Gilly, #1, #3, #5 (3)
5. Eltrezar, Man-at-Arms (2)
6. #4 (1)

Rolls

Secret Roll

Secret Roll

Angel Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(4) + 1 = 5

Gilly Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(1) + 2 = 3

Eltrezar Initiative roll - (1d6-1)

(3) - 1 = 2

Maloria Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(6) + 1 = 7

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Attacker #1 Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Attacker #2 Initiative roll - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Attacker #3 Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Attacker #4 Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Attacker #5 Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Attacker #6 Initiative roll - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Bors Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Apr 12, 2021 9:26 pm
Mal focuses as hard as she can on the sound of the wings as they dart about, trying to judge the creatures locations between the sun and their shadows. She lashes out with her hammer when one draws near enough...

Rolls

Attack - (1d20+1)

(5) + 1 = 6

Damage - (1d6+1)

(6) + 1 = 7

Apr 13, 2021 2:25 pm
The unseen source of the noise easily dodges the heavy weapon's swing.
OOC:
Round 1 continues.
1. Maloria (7)
--> 2. Angel, #2, #6 (5)
3. Bors, #4 (4)
4. Gilly, #1, #3, #5 (3)
5. Eltrezar, Man-at-Arms (2)
6. #4 (1)

KCC

Apr 13, 2021 2:32 pm
OOC:
Havent seen Aldrusian in any of my other games for a loooong while. I don’t know if we’ll see Angel post any time soon.
Apr 14, 2021 6:07 pm
OOC:
Oh no, really? Let me go back and check when the last time he posted here was...

...Looks line March 29th, but in early March he said he got all his vaccines and he had plans to visit his kids and grandkids coming up. Could still be doing that.

Are we all good with DM roleplaying Angel in limited capacity as per abandoned PC protocol until we hear from Aldrussian again or decide he left us?
Apr 14, 2021 11:48 pm
OOC:
he posted recently-ish in our Conan game...
Apr 15, 2021 10:51 pm
OOC:
To keep the story going, I think the DM playing out Angel's actions is fair. Combat is slow enough as is.
Apr 16, 2021 2:44 am
OOC:
Alright, then I'll post a basic attack for Angel and the other enemies in the turn order first thing in the morning and when Aldrusian returns he'll be back in the mix.

KCC

Apr 16, 2021 12:36 pm
OOC:
Yeah, especially considering how it’s been three days since Angel’s turn started.
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