Part 7: Return to the Moathouse Dungeon

Eltrezar follows, noting the lack of armor and weapons. Hrmph! "If we encounter these creatures again, I suspect they will be better armed. They looted half the armory! But that also means that whoever else we face down here will be less heavily armed... I hope."

Feb 5, 2022 7:21 pm

The party passes the armory and the gear within and heads upstairs. It's late afternoon, and the light shining through the damaged sections of the ruins' roof make the need for torch or lantern unnecessary, so as Gilly and Eltrezar extinguish their lights and Gilly reunites with her pony Timber, Mal collects her saddlebags, still hidden within the rubble of the room containing the giant snake.

Worrying about the safety of their mounts, the party drags Bors through the ruins' old gates and stops at the collapsed drawbridge. Half the drawbridge remains intact. However, the other half sits at the bottom of the muddy moat along with the carcass of Mal's horse, already starting to collect fat bluebottle flies.
Luckily, it appears that the gnolls have left the other animals alone, more interested in leaving with their their new loot and putting as much space as possible between the ruins and themselves, but weary and exhausted as the party is, yet another problem interferes with their desire to get back to the village safely: how to cross the broken drawbridge.
On foot the party should be fine and there was no indication that it would collapse under their weight. Timber proves a different issue though. Having entered the ruins first, Timber crossed the bridge safely enough earlier that day. Only after Maloria attempted to cross after did the rotted planks give way, sending the cleric and her mount to the mud below, breaking the horses leg and forcing Bors to end its misery. With only half the planks left, crossing may be dangerous indeed for the stocky pony...

Feb 5, 2022 11:21 pm

"Well here's another fine obstacle for us to ponder," Mal mumbles exhaustedly.

"We could look through the rubble in the castle for planks long enough to spread the load..."

Feb 6, 2022 12:20 am

OOC:

I could be wrong, but I do believe that was the idea want back when earlier today.

I also was very tempted to have the gnolls kill a randomly selected mount and hack off a few cuts of meat for their journey, but again, as an act of mercy on my behalf, I decided the gnolls want to get some mileage between here and where they want to be.

Feb 6, 2022 2:28 am

OOC:

[in the voice of Ramses from 300] "I am a generous god."

KCC

Feb 6, 2022 3:27 am

OOC:

I believe there are pews and a long feasting table in the fort right? If I recall the map correctly. I think the plan was the use those to build a makeshift bridge for a one way journey!

Feb 6, 2022 4:47 pm

OOC:

Sounds good to me

Feb 6, 2022 4:49 pm

Mal heads back into the various ruined rooms of the Keep's first floor and drags out whatever long tables and pews she can find.

Eltrezar the Medium

cowleyc

Feb 7, 2022 3:06 am

Eltrezar, having no physical strength to speak of, opts instead to check on the horses and prepare them for riding, including those that the hirelings had brought. He crosses the remaining bridge with confidence (read: arrogance), and helps direct the dwarf when she comes out with the support wood.

Feb 7, 2022 8:32 pm

KCC says:

OOC:

I believe there are pews and a long feasting table in the fort right? If I recall the map correctly. I think the plan was the use those to build a makeshift bridge for a one way journey!

OOC:

Not seeing pews around the place, but there's definitely some long feasting tables laying about that would be long enough to do the job.

Mal sets herself to the task of retrieving a long dining table laying on the floor of what was once the ruins' Great Hall. The legs have long ago broken off, but the table itself is intact, thick, and sturdy. Whether it might support an entire horse is questionable, though it should bear Timber's weight just fine, so Maloria grabs hold of it and drags it over to the broken drawbridge where her and Gilly set it to span the length of the moat below and cross over with Bors between them.

Eltrezar waits with the surviving horses, including both the one Turuko borrowed from the group, as well as the large warhorse belonging to Kobort. Kobort's horse still bears the lance, mace, and battle axe the fighter left behind when he entered the ruins with the party.

Eltrezar the Medium

cowleyc

Feb 7, 2022 8:37 pm

Eltrezar sees the two women return with Bors across the table, and recognizes that the pony still waits on the other side. Hrmph! "Perhaps you should walk before it, Gilly, instead of atop it this time. And then let us be off. The warhorse can carry the weight of Bors without any difficulty. Time may yet be on our side today."

OOC:

Assuming the others are ready, Eltrezar is raring to return to town.

Feb 8, 2022 12:33 am

OOC:

Ready to go

KCC

Feb 8, 2022 12:50 pm

Gilly takes the advice without acknowledging the wizard. She just wants to get back to town!

OOC:

Yep!

Feb 8, 2022 6:49 pm

The group climbs atop their mounts and sets off south for the hour long ride home. The going is quiet. The the rock outcropping on the right that previously emanated an eerie chill seems like just a harmless pile of rocks now, and none step forward to challenge the beaten and bloodied party.

The group eventually turns west and treks the final 2 miles into the village of Hommlet, where all is as it should seem on first impression. Villagers and laborers alike observe the fallen fighter draped over the back of Kobort's warhorse, Gilly and Maloria both covered in blood (but whose exactly?), Gilly with a grim expression and Eltrezar keeping a neutral gaze in from of him. The riderless horse that carried Turuko to his final resting place seems to stick out like an ugly thumb trotting quietly behind the rest of the mounts, and the group can't help hearing whispers as they pass, perhaps some real, perhaps some merely imagined under the gaze of onlookers.

The group comes to a halt in front of the Welcome Wench. It's about 5pm, shops and businesses are wrapping up their affairs for the day and getting ready to close down for the evening, many locals are starting to swing into the tavern for a few drinks after work, while others are getting ready to start dinner in many households... Will each member part ways for the evening to handle personal affairs and consider the events of the day alone? Or will they remain together for the evening and discuss matters as a group? That remains to be seen in Part 8...

Rolls

Wandering Monster roll - (1d6)

Feb 8, 2022 7:05 pm