Rubicon [IC]

[Mangy Mathan]

Location: Oakwood Fortress, Oakwood, Barestinia
Time: Late Afternoon, 8th day of Harvest, 1282
Weather: Warm, slightly breezy, and partly cloudy.


A cool breeze from the window greets you as you enter the mercenary leader's office. It is a simple place, with grey stone walls and wooden floorboards and filled with the smell of fresh earth. Colorful tapestries and weapons adorn the walls between cases of books and stacks of warped, wooden crates. Beams of light stream in from the windows to your right. Sir Arthur Garreth, the commander of the Oakwood military, sits at a humble wooden table near the center of the room.

He is a tall, powerful man, with many scars that tell of his combat history. He wears a meticulously clean chainmail shirt, with brown leather pants and boots, with leather gauntlets on his hands. His short hair is brown.

Behind him and to the left is his second-in-command, Lady Morana. Considered a black mage by some and a witch by others, she dresses well for her reputation. She wears a tattered but prestigious robe of layered black and purple, and has a brown leather book strapped to her waist by a chain. Her black hair flows behind her, streaked with silver.

"So you finished your training." Garreth speaks with a voice like stone. "Congratulations." Lady Morana pulls a set of necklaces from her pocket. There are six of them, and each one is the same: a small iron coin on a hemp thread. The coin bears the insignia of the Oakwood Mercenaries, two swords crossed behind the face of a dragon.

"These are for you." She says, handing them out to you with a smile on her face.

"You finished just in time." Garreth continues. "We just got an offer for a job I think you trainees... err, mercs can handle. Pinegrove is having some trouble with what the kids are saying is a monster in the woods. None of the adults in the town have seen the creature, and they all say it's a lot like a bedtime story they all tell their kids."

"A case of overactive imagination." Morana explains.

Garreth nods. "But, the kids are convinced and they're driving everyone crazy with their cries. They even refuse to go outside. So, we've agreed to send some men..."

"And women."

"And women to check it out."

Morana absentmindedly plays with a necklace around her neck, but you can't see what it is because it's hidden by her robe. "Just go there, act professional, listen to them, maybe even search around in the woods. It'll make them feel better."

"You'll get paid when you get back. It's roughly ten to fifteen miles away, so you can get there by horse in a few hours." He eyes you all, crosses his arms in front of his chest, and leans back in his chair. "Any questions?"

[gigz]

A some-what short man wearing loose travelers clothes hued in brown and red pipes up "Not here. As long as we have permission to fry it if we DO find something, I'm good. Oh, and if we don't find something there's always a sure fire way to smoke it out." A smile lights back up on him as he finishes, no hint of malice on his face.

[Arwend]

A fairly plain looking man, starting to show age on his face and dressed in undyed fabrics of beige and brown, raises an eyebrow at his companion's comment, but does not retort. "Do we know how long ago the complaints started?" he asks.

[loser0ll]

One of the newly-trained Mercs stands straight and disciplined, trying his best to radiate authority and competence - the effort might be somewhat hampered by the fact that he is wearing no armor, carries only a crossbow for a weapon, has on an outfit that clearly needs to be washed(badly) and was just given an assignment that basically screamed 'Nursemaid for the stupid!'
Still, he seems confident enough - and with a bath and change of clothes, maybe even on the attractive side. He seems to be in fair shape from the Oakwood training system and natural fitness, although few people would call him powerful - the generous would give his 160 pound body the description 'fit.'
His mid-length brown hair matches his eyes, and his walking gait and facial features mark those aware of such things as someone from a more northern region - possibly a mountainous area.

Once his necklace has been properly put on, he speaks up. "Sir, I won't be needing a horse myself - my Camel should be able to do the job just as well, assuming the stable-hands have taken decent care of..."
He pauses briefly and turns towards the short man who seems to like using fire-based metaphores a little too much, the look on his face indicating that he had just realized -exactly- what had been said. "Wait, what? If we don't find anything, then what would we be smoking out... Wouldn't we -not- try to smoke anything out until we find out that there is something there in the first place?"

[gigz]

With open sincerity, the man in red replies "Why would they be saying they saw something it there wasn't something there? Therefore, if we can't find something there's a sure fire way to find it. Right? We wouldn't want to do a job half assed now would we?"

[loser0ll]

Jonnathan looks dumbfounded for a moment. He opens his mouth, but can't quite seem to form an intelligent response. Whether this is because of the strength of the opposing argument or his incredulity at hearing someone actually bother saying those words, in that order, without laughing, is questionable. Finally he replies, clearly trying to hold onto a neutral, diplomatic tone. "You make a very... unique point. Coincidentally, will there be any system of authority for decision-making, in case one of us has an idea that another believes might not be benificial to the task at hand?"

[gigz]

"Oh, not me. Remember the leadership exercise last week? Yeah, turns out you can't disarm a fire trap by tossing an open water skin on it. I think Yurrik and Toul's eyebrows still haven't grown back. Sounded good in theory though, right? Water and fire don't mix well and all..." He trails off a little, lost in some thought.

[Mangy Mathan]

"Do we know how long ago the complaints started?"

Lady Morana explains, "About a week ago, but the adults of the village didn't take it seriously until a day or so ago when all the kids refused to go outside for fear of the monster."

Garreth watches Pytor and Jonnathan argue... "Coincidentally, will there be any system of authority for decision-making, in case one of us has an idea that another believes might not be benificial to the task at hand?"

He rubs his forehead as if he has a headache. "I would hope your training together has made you willing to listen and consult with each other, but if it comes down to it, I guess Sage will be in charge. She looks the most like a 'standard' mercenary, so she's what the townsfolk will be looking for. Of course, she's not actually of higher rank than any of you."

[gigz]

Jolted from his thought, the man in red asks "Oh, right. So, you mentioned the townsfolk thought it resembled a bedtime story they tell their children. Do we know what story? That might help, you know, if we know what story they've been telling."

After speaking, he turns to the others in the room and shakes each persons hand. "And since we seem to be a team might as well know each others names, right? I'm Pytor Rohan. Everyone just calls me PyRo though."

[Mangy Mathan]

"Do we know what story?"

"Unfortunately, no." The sorcerous lady responds. "It's a local myth that originated in Pinegrove, and since everyone tells their own version, there's no single text to explain the creature."

Garreth picks up one of the many papers scattered around the table. "We do have some information on what the kids are saying they saw." He clears his throat and begins reading the page. "Powerful, vicious, murderous, black with red stripes, glows like flame, evil eyes, teeth like daggers, four-legged, feline features but scaly. Smells like rotten eggs." He sets the paper down and looks back up at you.

"Hunts at night, eats little children who disobey their parents." Morana continues with a wry smile.

[gigz]

"Sulfur huh? Hmm... OH!! I know! We can use one of the kids as bait! If it hunts at night for the bad girls and boys, all we need to do is locate one of the naughty children, and have them lead us into the woods." Pyro gets a satisfactory smile just like he had solved some great riddle.

[loser0ll]

Jonnathan smiles, evidently relieved that the 'PyRo' man had finally starting thinking of plans that didn't involved torching or smoking out things.
"See, now you're coming up with some sort of reasonable plans. One of the naughty kids leads us around, we prove the whole thing is a phony - after all, if the kid really believed it he'd fight to the death to avoid being bait - and collect our pay. I'm glad you're thinking reasonably now."

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

Conner did not join in the conversation, instead writing into something that resembled a journal, taking notes on the subject and occasionally looking up when more information became available. His interest became particularly peaked when local descriptions of the monster were given. His master had told him of many of the things that prawled the night, but Conner'd never faced one himself so he couldn't be sure. If anything he often believed his master seemed to think details should not get in the way of a good story when it came to monsters.

"Smells like rotten eggs..." Conner muttered a bit louder as he jotted down the last bit of info seemingly unaware that all could hear him. When people glanced over he looked up as if he had something to say, but really his mind was racing for details.

OOC/Rolls:
Some checks to see if Conner knows something of this myth or anything of the description:
[lore][roll0] (like bardic lore, general info)
[history][roll1] (ancient tales...)
[religion][roll2] (flames/ sulphur...demonic presence perhaps? anything...)

Ignore that...forgot the bell curve,new rolls here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5874359#post5874359)


A moment later, having collected his thoughts Conner spoke confidently "What you are describing is a wraith. I don't think we're a match for such a creature, if anything we'd need enchanted weaponry or perhaps more potent magic to be able to slay such a spirit. Ofcouse we could look into it and report back if we needed heavier equipment." The last sentence was added hastily by Conner, who seemed a bit too eager to face the creature he described.

[gigz]

Pyro blinks... "Does is burn?"

[Kaiser Omnik]

Danak quickly turned to Conner.

"A wraith? A dark spirit? You can't be serious. I am sure the kids have exaggerated this story. Must be a giant wolf or something like that."

[Arwend]

Not liking the sudden uneasiness in his soon-to-be partners, Theodore tries to calm everyone down.
"'Well, the only way to be sure is to go and find out. No use talking about what it may be, better to see what it is. Even if it is something dangerous, children have been seeing it and coming back to tell the tale. I'm sure we will be able to do the same. I would sooner believe some prankster is playing tricks on them than I would that a fiend like that is letting children get away."

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

Completely serious in his response to Pyro, Conner does not seem to realise how strange the question was. "I'm not sure if it burns or not, I suppose magical fire would have a chance. And as for being a dark spirit I'm just relying on the rumours we've been told, to tell you the truth I'd prefer it to be a prankster too. "

Those definatly burn he thought about adding, but restrained from meantioning it to the flame crazed man that was in the room.

[gigz]

Pyro's eyes light up. "See? As long as it burns, we stand a good chance. Even should we find ourselves outmatched, we can burn down the forest. Let's see the beastie outrun THAT." He folds his arm in satisfaction.

[Kaiser Omnik]

Danak

Danak scratched his head.

"Fighting with fire is one thing, but... Be they good or evil, I don't think the spirits of the forest will like that. We don't have to make more enemies than we need to."

[gigz]

"Oh... well... huh. The forest has spirits too? Yeah, I suppose it probably would. Well, no. I guess they probably wouldn't like that very much. So, maybe we don't have a plan B then."

Brightening up, he says "OH, but Plan A still sounds good. Use one of the naughty children to lure the thing out. That way we can suprise it and incinerate it."

Quickly turning to Danak with a sincere smile "Without angering the forest spirit, of course."

[Ezeze]

Sage nods at the mention of her name. Addressing Pyro she says "I'd rather leave the children of a village out of it. Suppose we do find something? Not even a wraith - a wolf or a bear. They could get hurt. Then of course, I'd rather not traumatize a child to prove a point. We might be able to get more information from the villagers."

[gigz]

Pyro's face seems to fall slightly as he responds: "Well we.. I mean.. I thought... No, we wouldn't want them to get hurt or traumatized, of course. I was just... damn. I guess that wasn't a very good plan A." With that, his face crinkles into an expression of deep thought...

[Ezeze]

Sage smiles gently "I'm sure you'll think of something brilliant on the way." She puts a slight emphasis on 'on the way' and opens the door for the others to leave though. "We'll report back when the problem is taken care of, Sir."

[Mangy Mathan]

"Good." Garreth growls. "You can use the horses in the stable. Pinegrove is to the east. Just remember that anything you damage comes out of our pocket." He says, giving a knowing glare to Pytor.

It is nearing the evening. You could leave now and get there before dark, or you could wait until the morning. Which will you do? Or is there something else?

[Ezeze]

Thinking we should head out now. No telling what Pyro might do with an entire night :smalltongue:

[gigz]

Pyro looks at Garreth, heartily smiles and replies "Oh, don't you worry sir. I completely learned my lesson after the Obstacle Course debacle. And after that misunderstanding with Olip the Blue. And ESPECIALLY after that off-hours incedent at the Gilded Griffin."

Pyro is good with heading out tonight.

[loser0ll]

The one decent plan we've come up with, and we're rejecting it because of someone wanting to baby the children. With views like his, they'll grow to adulthood weak and inexperienced, never having worked for survival... poor children will be picked off by the first person they come across in life. ((I'm not sure what we should do about internal thoughts, so I just put it in spoiler tags and italics. Jonnathan is also ready to go tonight.

[Ezeze]

Oh gods, I can see the dynamics of this group already. Sage calmly taking the book of matches and oil away from Pyro and explaining, gently, that yes the cat will burn, but no, she doesn't think it will appreciate it while Connor takes notes and Jon whines that they never do anything fun. This game is going to be a blast :smallbiggrin:

[Kaiser Omnik]

OOC: Also ready to go tonight...

[Arwend]

Going tonight seems a good idea to me as well.

[Mangy Mathan]

Location: Pinegrove, Barestinia
Time: Evening, 8th day of Harvest, 1282
Weather: Warm, slightly breezy, and partly cloudy.

Your ride to the east was uneventful, but scenic, as the fading light of the day painted the rolling hills and forests a pleasant shade of orange. Aside from the occasional farm, there were little signs of civilization at all.

Which is exactly why you almost missed Pinegrove.

This tiny village, situated next to a stream, consists only of a handful of buildings, excluding the farms scattered about in the distance. It is concealed partly by a nearby forest and smaller clumps of trees and undergrowth that have yet to be cut down.

As you pass over a seemingly ancient stone bridge into town, you can hear the voices of families who live within the dirt and thatched-roof homes hush at the sound of your approach.

You notice a chubby farmer with a large gut walking aside an elderly woman in robes made of what appears to be woven leaves. His hand is on her back, as if he's leading a friend, and they are talking intently. They don't appear to notice you as they walk towards a house to the north.

The map of Pinegrove can be found here (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/Pinegrove.jpg). The orange color is due to it being evening. You approach from the south. Darker patches on the ground are collections of weeds and bushes that count as light undergrowth.

A space covered with light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to move into, and it provides concealment. Undergrowth increases the DC of Tumble and Move Silently checks by 2 because the leaves and branches get in the way.

Yes, Pinegrove is small enough to fit on a battlemap. :smallannoyed:

[gigz]

Pyro will keep an eye on the surroundings, hoping one of the other more... diplomatic... merc's will say something.

In the back of his mind, he's looking at the falling orange light thinking "Huh... so this is what a town on fire would look like. Kinda pretty."

[Ezeze]

Sage dismounts and approaches the two. She says "My name is Sage. Is this Pinegrove?"

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

Dismounting next to Sage, Conner smiles and holds out his hand in greeting.

"Good evening my good man and woman. As you can see my friend here is anxious to get started, but I believe an introduction is in order."

He then takes the necklace out of his pocket and reveals the insignia to the townsfolk.

"I'm Conner and we're with the Oakwood mercenaries. If this is indeed pinegrove I assume you've been expecting us?"

[Arwend]

Once it is apparent they have reached their destination, Theodore is glad to dismount, having never felt particularly comfortable on a horse. As Sage and Connor seem to be handling the diplomacy, Theo tries to find somewhere to take the horses, casting his eyes about for a barn or stable where they might be put up for the night.

Theo will have had Yale, his animal companion, follow with them. He would have tended to have lead the wolf around the outskirts of any farms and towns so to avoid stirring up any ruckus. However, as the stream and bridge make that rather inefficient, the wolf would be present now.

[Mangy Mathan]

The man turn towards you, startled, but then adjusts his straw hat and looks you over. "Hey! Good! Yeah, yer in the right place. Pleasure to me ya. The name's Preston, Preston Conway." He extends his hand in greeting. "This here's our village leader, Miss Fenton." He continues, nodding his head towards the woman.

"Maria." The elderly woman corrects him. She bows her head to you.

Preston starts to head towards his home again. "We were just about to tend to an animal, but you folks is welcome to come in and have some supper."

Theodore:
You could buy a modified backpack (4 GP) that can fit on a wolf. Then Yale can both carry things for you and look like a pet. Giving animal companions articles of clothing is a common way for druids to avoid the "Oh no, a wild animal is loose in the streets!" fiasco.

Also, there does not appear to be any official places to put animals. The animals seem to mostly be restricted, at least at this point in time, close to or in the houses.

[gigz]

At the mention of food, Pyro pops his head around and says "Supper? Yes please." Dismounting, he waits for the rest of the party to go for some eats.

[Ezeze]

Sage inclines her head gratefully "We'd be honored. Perhaps we can talk a little business as well?"

[Mangy Mathan]

"Certainly." Preston grunts. He leads you to a house made of clay and wood, with a thatched roof. It has small slits that serve as windows and a slightly skewed doorway with a curtain. He holds the curtain back for you, letting Maria in first. He smiles politely.

Inside, a clay fireplace sheds warm, friendly light through the home. A cheaply made wooden table sits near the center, and thatched beds line the walls. There appears to be a second room, and from it you can hear the rustling of snoozing cattle. The air smells of stew and tallow candles.

Six children, a woman, and an elderly man live here. The elderly man appears to be sleeping, the woman who is presumably Preston's wife is cooking, and the children are seated around the room, on the beds and at the table, working in what appears to be hand-crafted booklets containing simple math problems.

There are two girls and four boys, who all appear to be in the 4 to 10 year old range.

"Kids," Preston says, "These are the folks we sent for. They're here ta kill that monster of yours." Immediately, the kids leap up, chattering and talking excitedly all at once. "Now now," Their father scolds, "Let these good people get some food in their bellies first." He turns to you, "You fine lady and gentlemen have a seat here at the table, and we'll be right with ya." He then follows Maria, who has already made her way into the second room.

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

As Conner walks in he glances over the childerns math booklets, the sight of which brought back memories. It was an interesting sight to be sure, his master had told Conner that the poor could rarely afford books or paper and on many an occasion they had spend a few weeks in a desolate village teaching some of the basics of reading and writing to the inhabitants. A practice that more then once had irritated fuedal overlords who believed the two clergymen were interfering with their property and bringing dangerous ideas to the populace.

"Must be freemen" conner thought to himself as he took his seat and took out his journal ready to make sketches of the simple hovel and a crude map of the village from what he had seen. Details could be added later to help with the investigation.

"Would you mind terribly if I make some sketches for my journal, I would like to record things here and ensure a swift solution." he asked politely to the inhabitants and then turned to the childern "If you'd be able to describe the monster to me I'd like to record that too or maybe make me a charcoal drawing of it? That could really help us."

[Kaiser Omnik]

Danak

Danak inclined his head in greeting and followed the others inside. A good meal was always appreciated, but the woodsman's thoughts were elsewhere. He was not a social animal like Sage. He would rather be outside searching for clues than inside having tea with the locals...

He had to find out if it was really a Wraith prowling the wilderness. He had to know.

[Ezeze]

Sage

Sage beams at Preston and says "your children are adorable" before he disappears into the back room. She deliberately sits herself across from Connor. Words like 'swift solution' aren't going to mean anything to little kids. "We've heard all sorts of things about this monster, and we're not sure which ones to believe. Can one of you tell us the story?"

[gigz]

Pyro

Pyro sits next to Connor, and begins trying to determine if any of the children are naughty and therefore suitable bait. "These children look too well behaved to have seen the monster. How many other families are in town? How many claimed to have seen the beastie? Any children with disciplinary problems?"

[loser0ll]

Having left his mount outside - showing it a fair bit more affection than he seems to have for any of the people around him so far, Jonnathan enters inside silently with the rest, seemingly content to avoid saying anything for the moment - at least that way, if that PyRo maniac says something crazy, he'll still have a clean slate to work with while trying to talk the villagers out of hanging him.

He bows formally when entering, apparently taking his acceptance of their offer of hospitality very seriously despite his quiet.

[Mangy Mathan]

"I saw it." Remarks the eldest boy, with shaggy brown hair. "Well, sorta. We were out playing in the, uh, woods. It was getting dark, and, umm... well, I heard some rustling in the bushes. I couldn't see it, but I could see the weeds moving. It moved fast. It was glowing like it was on fire. I shot my bow at it..." He points to a makeshift bow, obviously designed only for training purposes. "I heard a weird clink. Then it shrieked..." He shakes his head, grimacing.

"I heard that!" the youngest girl shouts. "I heard that!"

"It sounds like a ghost!" Yaps a middle-aged boy. "Like this... REEEEEEEE!" He screeches, as high pitched as he can muster.

"Then you ran like sissies! I saw that!" Chirps the youngest girl.

Preston's wife, who introduces herself as Lily, begins to fill bowls with potato stew, and places them in front of each of you. It smells delicious, but its sweet smell is somewhat corrupted by the stench of the animals in the next room.

Preston returns with Maria, leading her to the table and pulling out a chair for her. "Only one kid in the village has said he seen the creature directly." He grumbles. "Little Tommy."

Maria pets Yale, though the others seem to be avoiding Theodore's wolf.

[Ezeze]

Sage

"Is the child okay?"

[gigz]

A look of anger comes over Pyro's face, quickly replaced by a haunted look of fear. He leans over to Sage and whispers to her "The boy's lying" before letting his gaze drop and falling into a contemplative silence, seemingly lost in some thought.

[Arwend]

Theodore

Entering the simple home, which seems to be getting fairly crowded, Theodore opts to stand near a wall, as to not take up too much space. When offered the stew, he accepts graciously, and sits on the floor to eat. Letting Yale heel beside him, he gives the wolf a piece of jerked meat from his pack, so his companion doesn't feel left out.

"When was the first sighting?" he inquires to Preston. "Were there any other odd happenings around the same time?"

[Ezeze]

Edit: Well never mind then :smallcool:

[gigz]

**Clarified original post.**

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

Conner looks up at Sage somewhat confused.

"Perhaps he's just a bit anxious Sage, maybe we should let him finish his tale before judging him. Could you tell us more about Tommy?"

[Mangy Mathan]

"Little Tommy's fine. He's the one who started all this." Preston says. "He came running out of the woods, without any of the fruits or vegetables he was s'posed to have, mind ya, screamin' about some kind of feline thing. He said it chased him all the way home, but he had no scratches and no one saw or heard anything. The kids picked up the story, though." He glares at his children.

Lily leans forward, earnestly. "Tommy is known for his laziness. This isn't the first time he's made up a story about some monster."

"Conveniently," Maria interjects, "These monsters happen to be wherever he's supposed to work. Fishing? Sea monster. Collecting acorns? Woods monster. Working in the field? Plant monster."

"Can't forget that one that was underground!" Lily laughs.

The kids scowl. They do not appear to like the light-hearted tone this investigation has taken on.

[gigz]

Pyro


"Maybe I should talk to him? I'm sure I can get the truth if I asked right. OH! Or maybe he can even show us. It sounds like he'd fit great in Plan B." Smiling happily, Pyro continues to eat the soup.

[loser0ll]

((Once again, Jonnathan is thinking to himself))
The fact that this PyRo madman is sounding more and more convinving is a very, very frightening fact. With his own brand of madness he would have been executed quickly in my homeland... or have ended up a fairly powerful Warlord.

[Ezeze]

Sage

Sage smiles pleasantly "I don't suppose Tommy is here? Can we speak with him?"

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

Conner turned his attention to the childern.

"Have you ever seen anything that could have been this monster before Tommy told you about it? And when and where does it show up?"

His tone is calm and friendly, if anything he is taking these childern seriously. Their description had been too good a match.

[Mangy Mathan]

"I don't suppose Tommy is here? Can we speak with him?"

"Tommy lives on the west side of the village. It's a short walk from here."

"Have you ever seen anything that could have been this monster before Tommy told you about it? And when and where does it show up?"

"No." Replies the eldest. "I've never seen anything like it. It shows up... in the woods. I'm not really sure where I saw it." He lowers his head, as if ashamed of his poor memory.

The youngest sister jumps on her bed. "I know! I know! You were at the mill!" She smiles cheerfully, glad to be of such great help to her brother. He apparently doesn't feel the same way, as his face goes pale and his eyes wide.

Preston slams his fist on the table. "What did I tell you about going there?!"

"Our guests..." Lily reminds him. Preston shakes his head.

"Sorry." He sighs. "The mill up stream broke down a long time ago, and now it's supposedly haunted. I jus' don't want 'em playing there 'cause it's beginning to crumble. It's not safe."

The houses in this village look like this (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/Typical_Medieval_Farm_House.jpg).

[Kaiser Omnik]

Danak

Danak looked a bit impatient.

"It's worth taking a look. A wild animal may have taken up residence in the mill."

[gigz]

Pyro

Pyro's face lights up after hearing what Preston says. "Hey! That's great! That means Plan A is still on the table then. See guys, this could be quicker and easier than you all thought." With that, he gives the party a satisfying nod before finishing his soup and complimenting the cook.

[Ezeze]

Sage

Sage nods. To the adults she says "we will do a sweep of the area in the morning, with the light, on the chance there is something worth being frieghtened about." Then she turns to the children "No one is better at tracking than Danak." She nods at the scout "if there is a monster out there, we will find it. Promise." She looks at the rest of the party, a little weery from the day's ride. "In the mean time, I don't suppose you have a place we could sleep? We're prepared to camp, but if it's not necessary..."

[loser0ll]

Apparantly not wanting to disturb the chain of command that was slowly being established, Jonnathan stays silent through most of the conversation. He does interrupt when Sage asks about lodgings. "Perhaps, since we've already come here tonight, we should visit this 'Tommy' they've mentioned - so that we will have the night to think over all available information. It's generally best to find all sources of information available, after all."

[Mangy Mathan]

"You can talk to him if you want, he's probably home by now. It's getting dark." Preston replies.

Maria points out the door towards the south. "If you would like, we have a town hall of sorts right over there. It's not much, but it's yours if you would like private accommodations. But please, finish your stew first." She motions towards your bowl before continuing her meal.

[Ezeze]

Sage

"That would work perfectly." Sagae nods her thanks, and finishes her stew in quiet thoughtfullness.

[gigz]

Pyro

"Please, yes. Finish your stew before we head out, it's magnificent." Pyro pushes the empty bowl in front of him back before relaxing a bit in the chair. "I have to say though, if we do decide to go with plan A, doing it at night would be much nicer to watch than in the morning. I still have a couple hours in me before I'll be ready to bed down for the evening anyway."

[Wizard of the Coat]

Conner

Conner finishes his stew and thanks their hostess. Getting up from his seat he walks towards the window.

"Could you point us in the direction of that old mill by night, I don't think we should go in just yet, but like Pyro I too have a few hours left in me and it would help us to have seen the place before talking to Tommy or others."

[Mangy Mathan]

Lily tosses Preston a look of deep thought, and then explains, "By night, the best way to find the mill is to just head upstream, right?" Her husky husband nods in agreement.

"The mill was powered by a waterwheel." Maria says. "The mill should be right on the bank of the river."

"This side." Grunts Preston.

[Ezeze]

Sage

Once everyone is finished, they will head up to the mill! Yay moving the plot forward!

[Mangy Mathan]

Location: Pinegrove Mill, Barestinia
Time: Night, 8th day of Harvest, 1282
Weather: Warm, breezy, and partly cloudy.

Night falls as you follow the old, dusty trail upstream. Through the broken clouds, you catch the occasional glimmer of a star. Light breezes dance with your hair before going on their way, carrying the sounds of crickets and the faint scent of rain. If you weren't monster hunting, this would be a near-perfect night.

Your group chats a bit about their training, their expectations, and Pinegrove, but mostly just enjoys the atmosphere.

Until you see it.

The mill sits nestled between the woods and the road, its mammoth, black silhouette looming ominously at the horizon. It appears to somewhat step shaped, with a single story base. The right half appears to be two stories tall, and the far right looks to be three, as if it sports some kind of tower.

As you approach, you hear what sounds like a muffled scream! And again! And again. And again... You quickly realize that it's not a scream at all, but the creak of what is probably the wooden waterwheel.

You stop to take in your surroundings and make a plan, the quiet babble of the stream seeming to offer its own advice.

[MAP (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/TheMill.jpg)]

The mill itself obscures your vision beyond it, hence the black section.

Somewhat darker splotches of ground are light undergrowth. The dark spots in those are areas of heavy undergrowth. The brown circles are small trees. You can find the associated game benefits and penalties here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#forestTerrain).

Your icons are the same color as your text. Pets are black with the border color of their master.

Finally, if you would like to dictate an exact path of movement, instead of trying to spell it out you can just give a string of numbers using this (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/numbermovement.png) as a guide. Put it with your rolls in a spoiler or something.

[gigz]

With a glint in his eye, Pyro turns to the rest and says "So, Plan A then? I mean, we can just fire the place up now and be done with it. Not to mention have a great place to roast some mutton or an apple or two. No fuss, no muss. Right?"

[Ezeze]

Sage

"It may yet come to burning it down, after all the villagers obviously don't use it anymore. But for the moment, lets look around inside. We can't be sure what the child saw wasn't a trick of light, and it wouldn't help anyone to destroy it without knowing." If no one objects, Sage leads the group into the mill.

[gigz]

Looking a little crestfallen, Pyro nods his head in ascent. "Oh. OK, if you think that's best then. I still think we'd save time for everyone if we just erradicated the issue now by fire. Bright fire." Pyro begins to get a slightly lost look in his face as his voice starts to trail off a bit.

[Kaiser Omnik]

Danak

The woodsman frowned at Pyro's idea and nodded at Sage's wise words. He walked towards the mill, then stopped and put a knee on the ground. He looked for tracks around the trail.

"Looks like this place has had visitors lately. Can't really tell anything else from these."

Survival [roll0]

[Mangy Mathan]

Sage pushes the old, battered door open carefully, but it still emits an ominous creak. The mill's main room is massive, filled with silhouettes of crates that cause shadows to dance around the walls. The dirt floor is soft, but not wet, and the stench of rot hangs thick in the air. A sudden whistle of wind alerts you to the fact that half of the ceiling is missing, allowing a few stars to watch your adventure.

One lone table stands haphazardly arranged with the crates, the shattered remains of what must have been the chairs scattered on the ground.


[MAP (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/TheMill-1.jpg)]
Crates are big enough to provide cover. Areas with rocks count as light rubble.

[Ezeze]

Sage

To Danak, Sage replies "well, if what the little girl said is true, the children play here." Once inside she moves forward and to the right, applying pressure gently to the door there until it opens and she can see inside.

[gigz]

With a sullen look, Pyro looks around the interior and says "Sheesh, everythings too damp. Should we light one of these crates on fire for light?"

[Ezeze]

Sage

"No."

[gigz]

"Oh. Well, it's pretty dark you know. May be a torch then?" Somewhat crestfallen, Pyro begins to pull out a torch and light it.

[Mangy Mathan]

The door is stuck, swollen with rot and mildew. Sage manages to gently muscle it open enough to see inside. The room is bare save for what appears to be some kind of grinder, slowly rotating with the trickle of the stream outside.

Pytor / Danak
As Sage sticks her head into the door, you hear a gentle scratching on the ceiling. Your first instinct is that the sound is simply that of a branch brushing the stone, but you quickly dismiss that thought when you note that the sound is a localized area that is moving in a direct path across the roof. You turn your head just in time to watch a dark shape emerge from the hole in the ceiling and drop silently to the floor!
Theo
As Sage sticks her head into the door, you hear a gentle scratching on the ceiling. Your first instinct is that the sound is simply that of a branch brushing the stone, but you quickly dismiss that thought when you note that the sound is a localized area that is moving in a direct path across the roof. You turn your head just in time to watch what appears to be a massive spider emerge from the hole in the ceiling and drop silently to the floor!
Danak / Theo / Pytor
Initiative - Surprise Round
Danak
Conner - Surprised!
Theo
Pytor
Sage - Surprised!
John - Surprised!

Enemies
Unidentified Creature [ ]

[MAP (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/TheMill-2.jpg)]

[Kaiser Omnik]

Danak

Danak shouted to Sage:

"Watch out, something's coming for us!"

Danak then ran behind a crate next to her and took out a javelin, ready for anything.

Move: Move 3 hexes up. Facing NW.

I would have thrown my javelin this round but the creatures is a bit too far.

[Ezeze]

Sage

At Danaks shout, Sage whirls from the open doorway to put her back to the wall facing the light and with the 'shink' sound of metal on leather draws both her swords - one from the strap at her hip, the other from the pack on her back. Despite the massiveness of each blade, she wields them easily one in each hand.

[gigz]

Been a couple of days, so I'm going to assume Theo is gone. :(

Pyro lets loose a little yelp as the the creature drops and almost instinctively waves his hands in a curt gesture. Arcane fire pulses from his outstretched fingers, striking the creature in the face with a flare of light. Then he quickly takes a step back, looking around for possible cover.

Casting Flare (Fortitude save vs DC 15 or be dazzled) if I can see the creature before taking a 5 foot step away from the creature, otherwise Pyro will just move north and east to seek a bit of cover from the stacked boxes along the east wall.

[Mangy Mathan]

Initiative - Round One
Danak [♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Conner [♥♥♥♥♥♥][Concealed]
Deathweaver ×1 [][Concealed]
Theo [♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Pytor [♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Sage[♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
John [♥♥♥♥♥♥] [Concealed]

MAP:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/TheMill-3.jpg

Danak: Moves swiftly, readying his javelin against the creature.

Conner: Surprised!

Deathweaver: The creature moves, staying just on the edge of the light, measuring up its opponents. From its movements and the occasional glimpses of its appendages, you realize that it is some sort of massive spider.

Theo: Theodore identifies the creature as a deathweaver, a nocturnal hunting spider of heroic proportions. He moves towards the crates for cover, fumbling to draw his scimitar. Yale, the wolf, snarls at the beast, interposing itself between the spider and his master.

Pytor: The pyromancer, seeing that the creature refuses to approach within range of his magic, decides to instead rush at a blinding speed towards the boxes and ducks behind them, carrying the torch with him. The creature is now partially illuminated!

Sage: Surprised!

John: Surprised!

[Ezeze]

Sage calls "Pyro! We need light!" and darts around the others, drawing one of her huge swords as she moves towards the creature. Two hands wrapped around the hilt, she swings with a hard downward stroke at the creature's head.

Two-handed attack with one sword.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[gigz]

With a sheepish look on his face, Pyro says "Er... umm... sorry. I don't actually have any spells that make Light. I have several that make fire though." Holding the torch aloft, Pyro will move behind the sword wielding leader and invoke a Flare of light hoping to dazzle the creature's senses.

[Mangy Mathan]

Initiative - Round Two
Conner [♥♥♥♥♥♥] [Invisible]
Deathweaver ×1 [✖✖✖✖✖✖✖]
Danak [♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Theo [♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Pytor [♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Sage[♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
John [♥♥♥♥♥♥] [Invisible]

Last Round Actions:
Danak: Delays until he can get a better shot.

Conner: Backs out the door, taking shelter around the corner and drawing his crossbow.

Deathweaver: The creature scurries forward, angered by the light Pytor holds. Its barbed, hairy legs propel it across the room at surprising speed towards the mage, but is blocked by the improvised blockade his companions bodies provide. Danak throws his javelin immediately, landing it squarely between two of the beast's chitinous plates, dealing 7 points of damage. It chitters madly. The deathweaver continues on, biting at Danak ferociously with its dripping mandibles, but he manages to dodge and swivel out of its path.

Theo: Theo, surprised by the sudden approach of the massive spider, swings at it with his scimitar, hoping to strike a deadly blow, but failing. His faithful companion, Yale, bites the creature's leg, snarling and barking, but it does not appear to deal any serious damage.

Pytor: The pyromancer sheepishly steps forward, hoping to aid his companions in the desperate, close-quarters battle. With a quick word and a wave of his hand, a blast of light flashes before the creature's eyes. It chitters and reflexively ducks, but does not appear to suffer any lasting damage.

Sage: Sage spins around, drawing a single one of her blades, and clutches it in her hands. She steps forward with a hefty swing, but her sword fails to deal damage, instead cracking the chitinous plate in the creature's head.

John: The enchanter draws his crossbow, and takes cover with Conner around the doorway.

MAP:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/dnd/TheMill-4.jpg

[Ezeze]

Growling with frustration, Sage flies into a rage. She swings at the creature again, plunging her sword through its abdomen with both hands. Then she swings her left hand around to pull her second sword from its sheath.

Free Action: Rage
Standard Action: Attack [roll0] [roll1]
Move Action: Draw second sword

[gigz]

Gathering himself a bit, Pyro moves around the northern crate using the NW corner of it as half cover. Holding his hand out in front of him, his eyes seem to literally light up as he draws his arm back in a throwing motion. Whispering words of arcane power, a small flaming stone appears in his open palm and with a near ecstatic smile, he finishes the throwing motion. As the flaming stone leaves his hand, it flares into a bolt of magic fire that strikes the beast.

Casting Kelgore’s Fire Bolt at the beast, Reflex DC 16 for half damage. [roll0]

[Mangy Mathan]

Last Round Actions:

Conner: Fires his crossbow at the Deathweaver, but only manages to chip the beast's plates. He shakes his head in frustration and reloads.

Deathweaver: Angry and wounded, the massive spider bites at Danak, but again he manages to wiggle away from it.

Danak: As he weaves, the scout grabs the greataxe from his back and swings it around, attacking the creature with an upward assault, slicing straight into the soft underside of its chin, dealing a critical 42 points of damage. The creature spasms, sputters, and falls limp within seconds.

Danak has slain the Deathweaver!

[gigz]

Pyro exclaims "Wow! That was really GREAT Danak. I get to save the pointy burning rock spell for later. Er... wait... Was this the thing the kids were seeing? It doesn't seem that dangerous."

Turning to Sage he says "Um... now what chief?"