Hunting Blackpool Hall [IC]

[Oh My God]

OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271075)

5th of Tarsakh, The Year of the Awakened Sleepers, 1484 DR
The trip North has been an uneventful one, boring as can be. Hitching a ride from Corymr to Waterdeep with first one caravan for weeks, and then up the Rivers Grayflow and Delimbiyr on an ox-drawn barge of another. There have been no bandits, no goblins, nothing whatsoever of interest. The only enemy the group has faced in weeks is tedium. Spring has only just begun to break the icy grip with which winter has held the North in thrall for months, and the morning bears a chilled breeze from the northwest. A mist hangs low over the Delimbiyr river, shrouding the low huddled bulk of the city's walls, rendering its skyline a muddled blur.

The company bears with it three letters, all written out in the pinched hand of their patron's major domo, Yulaster Craddock. The first is proof of purchase of an abandoned warehouse on the banks of the River Running, to serve as a depot and base camp for the company. The second is a letter of credit addressed to the Most Honorable and Ancient House of Janicierre, gold scriveners who have a small branch office open in Loudwater. The letter directs any funds for 'reasonable general expenses incurred in their duties" be made available to you. The third and final letter simply states that the company is currently in the personal employ of Baron Blackpool, and that they thus do not need to possess a charter and are immune from prosecution for its absence. This last last should not be needed here in the North, as lawless and free as it is. The other two, however, should prove their worth.

The city of Loudwater proper lies on the southern banks of the river Delimbiyr. Mostly one and two story houses of mixed timber and stone, the occasional tower rises amid its twisting streets. Comprised of three wards, the city numbers somewhere around eight thousand souls. The Inner Ward, also known as Old Town, lies within a second curtain wall (though it has quietly been covered with a thick coat of mossy growth), and was the bounds of the city before the Spellplague struck. In its aftermath, the neighboring towns of Llorkh and Zelbross were abandoned, and most of their residents relocated to the safety of Loudwater. The New Town that they erected has only recently been enclosed in its own wall, some twenty years ago. The last ward, the Docks, plays host to dozens of warehouses and twice as many piers.

Along the main thoroughfare sit such establishments as the Green Tankard Pub, Starra's Sharps, Loudwater General Store, Danryn's Dry Goods, and at least two smithies so far. The city bustles with a healthy, quiet heartbeat. Though it may be a far cry from the genuine metropolises of the south, Loudwater clearly is benefiting from the trade that passes through it between Waterdeep and Netheril Restored.

Your official 'mission' is spelled out in the paperwork that accompanies your letters; to determine the location of Blackpool Hall, to remove any and all squatters or other transients illegally residing therein, and having accomplished these tasks, to notify Yulaster Craddock of said success.

The warehouse, the bridge across the cerulean river, and the frontier all lie to the north, through the town. Whatever the future holds, it bides on the other side of the River Running.

[Mahrke]

"Haha! Finally, a town with more than three people in it." The voice rings of the youthful vigor that belonged to none other than Pix Popsicopolis, a self-styled merchant/inventor/adventurer that hadn't yet seen her sixteenth year. "We should bring the stagecoach around to whatever passes as a market square in this place so I can set up shop while you adults do the hard stuff." Once more, playing the 'kid' card. Funny how Pix seemed adamant that she could handle herself whenever a fun, if dangerous, task needed doing...but as soon as some boring, trivial chore, like having to get an inn room, or fill out paperwork, cropped up she was 'but a child'.

Pix wastes no time, scratching something in a ledger with quill, likely going over the illegible inventor she'd managed to keep track of. "So, what's the plan chief?" she looks up from her notes, across the middle of the comfortably-spacious stagecoach that had carried the crew for the trip, at the sturdy Son of Magnus sitting across. "Are we only staying here the day to collect leads?"

[Dunkoro]

(OOC: Who exactly is Pix calling chief? It's not like we've decided who's gonna be our leader yet =])

Well, I could use a few days of rest and maybe even entertainment in this town, after all this travelling, but as it holds we're on a mission and thus we're supposed to reach our destination as quickly as possible. But I suppose a few days "investigating" couldn't hurt anyone, could it? What do you say?

[Mahrke]

"Whatever makes me some coin. I only have, like, ten gold pieces, and I ran out of half my reagents a week ago. I guess its not such a big deal if we're out actually -adventuring-, but I think its waaaay more likely that we're gonna spend a bunch of days just wandering around looking for a needle in a haystack if this place is as 'lost' as everyone makes it out to be."

The reply comes with that lilting tone. She couldn't help feel excited about the prospect of being in a city after so many days riding in a wagon, staring out at boring fields.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus snaps out of a reverie, looking up to his companions. "Aye, it'll be good to be off the road. We have this warehouse to check out - it do seem to me that our esteemed employer thinks this task'll take some time, if he be givin' us a base of operations. I'd say we should set ourselves up - maybe introduce ourselves to the local authorities, never hurts to get on a good side early - get the lay o' the town a wee bit, and then aim to head on out after that? I must say, a pint and a warm meal, and then maybe another pint, would hit the spot." Magnus strokes his long, reddish-brown beard before continuing. "After that though, I wanna get this underway. Done too much sittin' on my arse, for weeks!"

[J-H]

Petunia nods agreement from her seat.
"That sounds good to me. We should also see what the local trade routes are, and what they used to be. At one point, Blackpool had to have some roads going to it."

[Dunkoro]

((OOC: Didn't realize I have the biggest Ride check. If it is so, then sure, I can.))

It's settled then, we're staying here for a few days to hear of some local gossip and maybe get some idea where exactly should we get started. I say we should start from a local tavern. It could be even better if we split up for a while, 4 separate people usually gather information much more efficiently than a group of four would. Opinions?

[Mahrke]

"Sounds like a plan then!" Pix snaps closed her inventory ledger. "I'll set up shop, and get the horses stabled. I'll try and learn what I can from the townfolk." She squirms, turning around in her seat and looking out the window of the coach, before gesturing. "Oh, over there! See that open bit? Looks like a perfect spot. Bring us around over there, Kal."

[Ithandor]

Magnus


"Well, let's get on with it. I'll go check out this warehouse. Anyone care to join me?" Magnus asks, shouldering his shield. Small gears whir in his armor as he dismounts from the carriage, stretching his muscles as he does so. Once on the ground, he mutters a few divine words, before turning back to the group.


Casting Divine Insight on myself, duration 4 hours or until used.

[J-H]

After the carriage is parked and the warehouse checked out, Petunia heads to the merchant districts to see if she can recognize anyone she's seen before.


Also, Gather information [roll0]

[Mahrke]

With stagecoach strategically positioned, Pix sets about setting up shop. Roll of fine black silk is drawn from her backpack, the material wispy and featherlight. She unfolds the ends, laying it along the edge of the coach's floor, before gently pushing it back, letting it unfurl. Each inch revealed shows not some grand tapestry, nor comfortable bedsheet. Instead, what unfurls is...a different floor. A wooden platform with a large trap door set into the bottom corner of it. The teen hefts the knocker of the door, pulling it open, and peering down into the well-lit depths of her own personal 'shop'. Defying all logic, it is a good fifty feet deep, with multiple levels.

Pix lets out a short, shrill whistle. "Bolt! Nut! We're opening shop." With that said, the girl hops down from the inside of the carriage, and goes around to the side. She grasps a brass lever with both hands, and rocks back on her heels with a mighty pull. Two long steel rods spring from the roof of the carriage, a canopy strung between them, and when they reach their limit of length a small banner, colored with blues and golds, unfurls at the end.

~~Courtesy of West-Faerunian Mercantile and Mercenary Company~~
Pix's Emporium of Deals

Pint-size entrepreneur then sets a small podium before the carriage, and draws a lute from the small back at her side, strumming out a jaunty tune, and making rounds around the square, as a pair of tiny clockwork golems make slow trips form the depths of her pocket-dimension, bringing out crates of merchandise from those mysterious depths.

"Come one, come all! What wonders to see
A place like none-other; where value is key
Tonics, and tinctures, and remedies pure
All of fine quality, you can be sure
Gadgets and trinkets, and weapons to boot
For the right price I would sell off my lute!
So come to my little Emporium of Deals
With fine goods and services, all of them steals
You should be quick though, the hour is late
And Pix's Emporium closes at eight!"

Pix sells all Bottled Goods, Specialty Goods, Weapons, and Armor listed in her shop (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z-VjuicP_ZNemxrKoRzlvGyO3hcxzKZNVt3xuuirkDU/edit) at 90% market price, and will haggle down to 75% market with savvy customers. She will also take orders for magical items.

[Dunkoro]

Seems like it's down on me to go to local taverns and ask for any information anybody might have there

After these words, he too left Pix for his own doings and went to a tavern.


Gather Information (about the Blackpool Hall)
[roll0]

[Oh My God]

Magnus

The trip north through the city is rapid. Though the city is manifestly active, traffic does not swell to ever block his forward passage. Reaching the Dock Ward, his pace slows so that he can start to track down the building he seeks. Picking through an active wharf is a tricky business, avoiding pallets of goods and carts rumbling down cobblestone streets.

Eventually Magnus reaches the end of the directions noted in the bill of sale. Outside, the warehouse is unremarkable. A hundred yards long, maybe twenty wide and three stories high, it is as nondescript as a large barn can possibly be. One of the side doors proves to be unlocked. The interior is virtually empty, one massive room. There is scant evidence of what once filled the warehouse. A discarded tarp is draped across the ground here, and in the corner an empty barrel sits in forlorn isolation.

Not far from the warehouse, the ancient stone bridge which prompted the creation of the city itself vaults the River Running. Hard to pick out at this distance, but still visible, are the low ruins of a handful of ancient structures of some sort on the northern bank of the river.

Kalthar

Hitting four pubs and one street-cart restaurant, Kalthar has come to an unpleasant conclusion.

Virtually no one knows anything about Blackpool Hall. Most people haven't even heard of the place. After all, the average man on the street shouldn't be expected to know much about some ancient ruins abandoned centuries passed. The only gossip he does manage to pick up (and this overheard while loitering around the hot-sausage-inna-bun cart), was that two travelers were considering delaying their trip further west on account of stories they'd heard about a pack of werewolves that had started hunting in the area.

Petunia

Heading for one of the centers of trade in town, Petunia spends some time searching out any familiar faces. Merchants get around, after all. The odds are decent that she should be able to find someone she knows from her earlier life. And yet, it seems as though she can find no one. Odd, that. Seemingly exhausting the grounds for her hunt, she heads back towards the carriage when rounding a corner, she catches sight of a knife-sharpener she recognizes. Sitting underneath a small awning, he spins his massive whetstone and holds the edge of steel to it, spark flying from its surface now and then as an imperfection is ground off. Looking up once he finishes his work on the current knife, he nods in response to a greeting and responds," Petunia, right? Good to see you. "

According to him, the only significant trade route through the area runs east-west. With one end in Waterdeep, and the other at the Shade Enclave of Netheril Returned. Whatever routes or roads once ran to Blackpool Hall have long since fallen into disuse.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus looks around the warehouse, having stepped back inside. Well, it dinnae be glamorous, but it'll do the trick. Rooting around in his backpack, he removes the Aspect Mirror. Looking at the marvels Pix produces, it was sometimes hard to remember that she was so young.

"Pix, you there? I'm at the warehouse now, over on the north side o' the city. Seems in good nick, bit empty, but I'm sure you'll have all manner o' clutter in it shortly. We could use a few good locks for the doors, if you have any"

[Mahrke]

Pix's face beams at the dwarf from the other side, the sound of a chattering crowd making it somewhat harder to hear.

"Hey Magnus! What? Oh! Yeah, yeah. I've got some...uh..." She looks away for a moment, distracted. "No, those are 30 a piece. I'll give you the rest of the crate for 140 though." Her attention returns. "What? Oh, locks. Yeah, I can take em off the manacles. How big is it?" Her attention strays once more. "Five for a bottle. Cures stomach-aches, head-aches, and heartache. Guaranteed!"

[J-H]

Disappointed in the lack of luck, Petunia heads back to the warehouse, avoiding the large crowd around Pix's stall in favor of a quieter, less traveled route.

[Oh My God]

Magnus and Petunia

Shortly after Petunia's arrival at the warehouse, a man with a rolling gait enters via the unlocked side door with which the pair of PCs have already arrived. He looks startled to see people at all, and then more startled still by your particular appearances.

" Um, ah, ah," he starts with a stammer, and then manages to get out a," Are you supposed to be here?"

Pix

It doesn't take long for a small crowd to gather, drawn by song. Once they get an eyeful of the artificer's unusual shop, however, the crowd swells in earnest. After all, if there's one sure thing that'll draw a crowd in the North, its a spectacle. The fact that bargains are promised as well? Pure bonus. These people will be talking about Pix and her magical traveling shop for weeks.

Sales are limited principally to the things that the typical working man would find useful. Her alchemist's fire is a hot item, the Unguents of Timelessness have run out of time on her shelves, and quite a few blacksmiths pick up an Auran Mask. Two children try out Pix's Tonic, and vanish promptly into the crowd. Pix ferrets out of her would-be customers that there are two other sources for magical goods in town, and it seems like it'll take some doing to horn in on their business. One, by the name of Kieran's Kuriosities, sounds like it resells magical baubles that have entered the market flow from adventurers, and the other, known only as The Depot, sounds like it whole sales items from Netheril Restored.

With regards to the location of Blackpool Hall, Pix comes up empty. The only thing she can really get on ruins regards the elven shambles on the north side of the river. Supposedly, they're the remains of an ancient philosophical society. And they're haunted.

[Mahrke]

By the time the crowd has filtered out, Pix is a happy camper. She merrily helps her wrights pack in the merchandise, and takes a seat inside the stagecoach, counting her lucre, and scratching down notes in her inventory logbook on what to produce more of, and what to cut down in her future endeavors. Once all is said and done, she flips open her aspect mirror.

"Hey guys, anyone home?" Comes the sound of cheery voice. "I'm all done for today, and I need someone to bring one of the horses down so we can pull this coach back to the warehouse. I got some good info on this place too, besides all the gold."

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus speaks quietly into the Aspect Mirror, "Pix, I'll get back to you on that one." Leaving the connection open, but dropping the mirror to his side, Magnus speaks up, addressing the newcomer cordially. "I think this is the right place, alright. My name is Magnus. Who are you?"

Sense Motive, as to whether I think this guy is acting suspiciously:
[roll0]

[Oh My God]

Magnus and Petunia:

" Jarvis, sir. I'm the watchman for this part of, you know, the docks. Make sure no one's camping out in the warehouses what don't have workers in them frequent," the man says in a tone that is earnest and tired. If he's lying, then there's no truth in the world. He takes his hat off and scratches at his forehead. " I heard there were new owners. Uh, I guess you're them?," he asks, his tone obviously confused. You two couldn't look less like merchants or shipping factors, after all.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


"Guardsman Jarvis, nice to meet you!" Magnus says, shaking his hand. "This here is Petunia, and we are the new owners. Well, two outta four anyway. Do ye be needin' to see the papers? Pix must have them squirrelled away somewhere."

"What's this area like Jarvis? We're new to town, just arrived earlier today."

[Oh My God]

Magnus and Petunia
Jervis is knock kneed and thin as a rake. He draws himself up and salutes. " Watchman sir, not a guardsman as such. I don't stand outside with a pike or anything. I just keep an eye on things, and go get the militia if there are any squatters."

" The docks, sir? All full of hustle and bustle. Barges loading and unloading all of the time, longshoremen lifting things, winches, er, winching. You know. And papers, well, whenever you have the chance, you know. You two seem pretty trustworthy. Not like the sort what camp out in abandoned warehouses, you know."

[J-H]

"Another member of our group has our writ of permission for this place. You may have seen her setting up a very noisy stall selling magic items earlier?

We don't intend to be here more than a few days."

Petunia looks around for a dry place and takes off her pack. Finding a small pile of discarded but dry straw nearby, she brushes through it with a booted foot to confirm it's clean, and then moves it over near her pack and arranges her bedroll on top of it.

"This is a dry place to sleep, but I'll get enough trail rations later. Where's an affordable place to get good food without too much drunken company?"

[Dunkoro]

Pulling out his Aspect Mirror, Kalthar connected with Pix:
I'm coming Pix!
And then he went to the spot he has left Pix in.

After reaching the place he again turned to his companion:
Can we go? I suppose Magnus and Petunia are waiting for us at the warehouse.

[Mahrke]

Pix's head pops out of the door upon the arrival of Kalthar and one of the group's horses. "Hey! Finally! You guys are such slowpokes.", she chides, hooking the horse up. "Yea, the dwarves are getting hassled by 'The Man' up in our warehouse. Sounds like they need papers or something."

Pint-sized engineer yanks on the leather harness' connection point to the stagecoach, ensuring that its tight, before she clambers back inside. ""I'm sure I put em down here somewhere...hmm..." The teen ponders the extradimensional space of her shop on the floor of the stagecoach, before she tosses shouldered haversack (Rule Number #1 of portable hole ownership; no mixing extradimensional space) on the seat, and descends beneath the trapdoor, rifling around in an effort to locate the document of choice.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


"I suppose we'd best find somewhere to park Pix's coach too. Ah, speakin' of!" Magnus exclaims, as he hears the unmistakable clatter of the stagecoach coming from outside the building. "Lookin' forward to gettin' this show on the road. You hear much from around the merchants' Petunia?"

[Oh My God]

Kalthar and Pix

Pix discovers the proof of purchase swiftly enough among her sundry other items, and it isn't long before they're headed to the warehouse. Thanks to the broad thoroughfares that spread through the city, it is a short voyage indeed, wheels rumbling and rasping over the cobblestones.

They trundle to a stop outside of a large, nondescript warehouse. Anonymous and gray, it blends in with the other warehouses that line the dock front. The most obvious signifier is its absence of a sign or trademark. There are large, sliding doors at either of the ends for loading and unloading cargo crates, and a few smaller doors along its length for more pedestrian sized traffic.

Magnus and Petunia

Magnus has no doubt that the wagon would fit within the warehouse with space to spare.

At the question from the lady dwarf, Jervis tugs on his chin a little in thought before answering," A few of the dry goods stores sell packed lunches, for dockworkers and miners mostly, so they can eat on the job. Beyond that, you've got a good number of public houses, but there'll be drinking there, of course. Hard work means hard drink, yeah?"

" Oh, yeah. You'll be needing a copy of the key to the place. Ah, here." Pulling out a large ring of keys, he thumbs through them until he finds a broad brass specimen, frees it, and hands it over to Petunia. " That'll handle any of the locks on the doors here, it should."

[Mahrke]

Pix pulls herself out of her workshop, before folding it up, back into a shimmering silken cloth, which she tucks in her non-magical backpack, and then hops down from the back of the stagecoach. She pulls open the doors of the warehouse, leaning back on her heels and giving some mighty effort to pull the large sliding (aluminum?) panels apart. She runs inside, leaving Kalthar to bring the wagon inside, before going about her exploration with a common youthful vigor.

Papers for the place aren't forgotten, however. She hucks them carelessly over her shoulder as she sprints to the other side of the warehouse. Instead of fluttering to the ground, though, they stay aloft...and the carefully folded parchment floats over to Magnus, and begins to insistently whap his helmet for attention.

As Pix takes in their new warehouse, she rattles off her findings for the day. "So, sold a bunch of stuff, and got a lead. Nobody could tell me anything about the Hall, but apparently there's a neat little set of elven ruins to the north of the river. They're supposed to be haunted...spooooky. What'd you guys find?"

[Ithandor]

Magnus


"Thanks Jervis,", Magnus says, taking the keys from him. Swatting at the letter repetitively thwacking against his helmet, he eventually manages to snatch it down out of the air. "here are the papers, if you need to see them."

Oh yeah, I saw those ruins in the distance Pix. I wonder how old they are? If they were still.. eh... unruined... around the time the Hall was about, maybe we can find somethin' there that might point us in the right direction." Magnus looks around for reactions from the rest of the group, as he moves to help Kalthar with the wagon.

[Dunkoro]

Well, seems like we have nothing better to start with, so we might as well go there tomorrow.

[Mahrke]

"Sounds like a plan, dwarf-man." replies Pix with lilting note, before approaching the watchman, apparently satisfied with her inspection of the place.

"Hey, this might not be up your alley, but do you know a place around here I can get raw lumber on the cheap? I'd like to get this shack more ship-shape before we head out. Empty, featureless spaces aren't exactly my thing when it comes to decor."

[Oh My God]

Jervis chuckles and nods at the hyper-kinetic Pix. " Oh, there's loads of that around. Plenty of lumberjacks feeding the yards here, shipping it downriver to the sea. Only place they aren't knocking down trees by the dozen is up by the Unicorn's Run."

[Mahrke]

"Amazing. Fantastic. Perfect. You've been a great help Jarvis." The teen claps him on the shoulder, before turning to her friends. "I don't know about you all, but I'm ready for some supper. The kind that doesn't start with an 'R' and rhyme with 'passions', preferably. So, where're we going?"

[Dunkoro]

Well, I've been to few taverns today, and one of them has pretty decent food for pretty good prices, or so It seemed. Is everybody coming?

[J-H]

"Yep." Petunia starts walking to the door, her maul hanging behind her.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


"Absolutely! I've a thirst ye could.. ye could... I want a pint!" Magnus exclaims, already on his way round the warehouse, locking doors.

[Oh My God]

The food is hot, if unimpressive. The cider is spiced, and no one bothers them. Everyone seems rather intent on their own meals, the hurried methodology of hard-working folk who have somewhere to be.

The warehouse keeps out the wind, and certainly offers enough space for the group to spread out in. As a place to camp, they've had worse.

6th of Tarsakh, The Year of the Awakened Sleepers, 1484 DR

Heading out of the city towards the ruins takes the party inexorably further from the comforts of southern civilization. Once they cross that bridge, there isn't another pinprick of lights in the vast wild until Silverymoon, on the far side of the High Forest, beyond the Trollsmoor.

The bridge itself seems hard to date; though the stones have been worn smooth from the passage of countless winters, they remain uncracked and seamless. It is almost as though the entire span were carved from a single chunk of flawless rock, and the appearance of individual blocks within it were nothing more than artistic embellishment. This is of the highest degree of dwarven stonework.

The ruins are the remains of a collection of five buildings set around a central square, the skeletal remains of an ancient and withered tree the compound's heart. Devoid of roofs, cracked and crumbling, covered with moss and creeping vines, the North is doing its best to return them to their natural state. It is a testament to their construction that anything yet remains.

Two of them, side by side, were once merely a single story high. These huddle low, their walls worn to an uneven height just below the waist of the dwarves. One was once a square tower, though some great blow staved in one of its sides, and wind scours its inside, raising a howling moan. The remaining two buildings were two-stories in their prime; one of these, improbably, retains its front door.

[Mahrke]

It had been an energetic evening before their departure, with Pix talking the ear off a few of the local lumber purveyors. Before long, she'd secured an agreement, a fresh load of wood brought to their warehouse on the morning of their departure; she'd have time to work convert raw material into sturdy construction in due time.

--

When they arrive at the ruins, Pix frowns, folding arms over her chest and shaking her head. "I wouldn't bet a copper piece that these ruins contain anything worthwhile in the state they're in, especially so close to a big town. Its a sure thing every adventurer with half-a-mind has picked this place clean." She shrugs her shoulders, "Then again, I guess we aren't looking for shiny stuff. Just history?"

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus stretches his legs, surveying the ruins in front of them. "Aye Pix, ye're probably right. But... if there be nothin' here, why hasn't the land been taken over fer some other purpose yet? Sometimes superstition is all guff, but sometimes there be a kernal o' truth in there somewhere." Magnus weaves a few sturdy, simple gestures, bound of earth and stone, briefly touching on Pix's arm. Then, he draws his hammer and shield. "Let's be about this. Hopefully we'll find a few clues somewhere."


Casts:
Divine Insight (on self) - Duration 4 hours
Conviction (on Pix) - Duration 40 minutes [+2 to saves, morale]

Stance: Martial Spirit

[Mahrke]

Pix nods at Magnus, and rises onto the balls of her feet. Being under the effect of Magnus' spell was a treat; the teen felt like she could take on the world! Maybe not the most practical side effect, considering Pix already had a habit of biting off more than she can chew.

The spry human begins making her way around the exterior of the ruins, trying to glean what she can the of this place through the story told by the architecture, and keeping a keen eye out for any dangerous traps or pitfalls.

Search: [roll0]
Knowledge (Engineering): [roll1]

[J-H]

Petunia starts walking around, looking for anything unusual. She checks out the tower, and then starts to circle around the building that still has a door.


Search [roll0] Add Stonecunning modifiers if appropriate.
Survival [roll1] for noticing tracks
Spot is +3 and listen is +5 if they become relevant.

[Dunkoro]

Kalthar too decided to look around the ruins a bit:

How do you exactly treat Inspiration Points outside of combat?
Anyway:
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Ithandor]

Magnus assists Pix in her search of the ruins, occasionally muttering to himself about the clear contrast in quality between the 'shoddy' elven ruins, and the 'majestic' dwarven craftsmanship of the bridge they crossed to get here.


Search (assist, +2 for stonecunning if relevent): [roll0]

[Oh My God]

As Magnus holds position on the stage coach, the other three adventurers fan out across the ruins, poking and prodding, as adventurers are wont to do. After a short while, the dwarf clearly gets restive, and joins in the hunt.

Petunia catches sight of a number of tracks, though they're nothing too exciting. A number of deer tracks in the ground, soft from the morning dew. A rabbit warren has been dug underneath the corner of one of the low ruined buildings, and there's obviously an owl roosting somewhere nearby.

The other two scouts have a little more luck with the buildings. Taking their time, and orbiting the buildings one by one, Pix focuses in on the tower. She notices that the rear wall is significantly thicker than it needs to be. Coming over while Pix is considering this fact, Kalthar finds a stone that is definitely, definitely along the back wall of the exterior of the gutted tower.

The general consensus after the three scouts finish poking around is that from the outside, this looks like a pretty typical ruined campus or compound. The two low buildings were likely some sort of dormitories or barracks, and weren't considered very important. The two larger buildings contain a number of rooms, as evidenced by the small, circular windows that pierce their walls, the glass in them long vanished.

[J-H]

"Tower first, or the place with the door?"

[Mahrke]

"Let's leave the tower for last." Pix calls, running to the door of the more squat affair, and testing the handle on it. "You know, for suspense." If it is unlocked, she'll open the door, and press inwards.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus follows after Pix, muttering something to himself - the word suspense was definitely mentioned.

[J-H]

Petunia swings her maul a few times as they approach the door. "If it's locked, I can break it down."

She falls silent, and her face changes shape, her mouth growing outwards into a snout full of razor-sharp teeth.
Bite of the Wolf, 4 minutes for 1pp

[Oh My God]

The door is unlocked, even ajar slightly. In a stiff wind it would flap open and shut. The first floor contains four rooms, in the 'corners', and a central hall with a staircase up to the second floor, which contains six rooms, smaller than those below. Faded patterns are worked into the trimwork of the stone walls, knotted geometric shapes repeating and changing.

The rooms are startlingly empty, to an extent that is a little bit confusing. There should be a natural accumulation of detritus, of leaves blowing in the windows, of leavings from rats making nests. There is nothing. The rooms are picked clean.

[Mahrke]

Pix nods as she makes her way through the oddly-empty building. "Mmmhmm. Yup, just as I suspected. Elven schools are so boring, that even the leaves don't want to come to class." She makes her way to one of the walls of the place, brushing her ungloved palm over the geometry etched into the stone.

"Buuut, as we all know, teachers usually have some sort of secret lair. You know, to torture their problem students, or concoct their nefarious schemes, or what have you. That said, I figure this place could use a good searching."

Pix's Patented Triple Check
Search 1: [roll0]
Search 2: [roll1]
Search 3: [roll2]

[J-H]

Search [roll0] + Stonecunning
Search [roll1] + Stonecunning
Search [roll2] + Stonecunning

[Oh My God]

To the best of their ability and knowledge, there is nothing hidden within this ruined building, at least no -physical- secret. How it has managed to remain so clean despite the passage of centuries remains hidden as well.

A gust of frigid northern air, carrying on it the last breath of winter's cold, demonstrates the ability of the front door to slam shut, open once more, and slam again, the two loud booms resonating within the ruin's hollow husk.

[Mahrke]

Dusting off her hands, and seemingly satisfied with the inspection, Pix gives a start at the loud crack as the door to the building slams shut. "Heh...spooky." She quips, making her way to the exit, and looking around the circle of the buildings. "That one next?" She queries, pointing at the hard-cornered tower.

[Ithandor]

Magnus


"Aye. Though somethin' must have kept this place clear of.. well, everythin'! We best be careful." Magnus approaches the tower, keeping his gruff voice low. He then enters the building, weapons drawn.

[Dunkoro]

Yeah, such cleanliness could only be achieved through means of extensive work, or by magic. We better proceed with caution.

[Oh My God]

The open doorway of the tower is only the second most obvious entrance to the structure. One whole face of the tower has been removed, though there is no sign of the rubble this should produce.

The tower's principal purpose seems to have been 'be tall'. Thrusting itself seventy feet into the air, its top would offer an amazing view of the surrounding country. Its possible that within its walls wooden floors once were, but if so, they're long since vanished, leaving the interior of the tower one long, echoing fall from top to bottom, the only feature the interrupted staircase of stone that wraps around its interior.

On a surface examination, there is nothing within or around the tower of much note, other than its oddly thick rear-wall and the loose stone within it.

[Mahrke]

Pix makes a circuit around the tower, before pondering the back wall. She folds arms over her chest, tapping her toe as she faces towards it, thinking. "Y'know...there's something off about this thing. That back wall is like...way more solid than these other ones. Like a dwarf standing in a room full of elves. Its the sort of architecture you might see on a battlement...but none of the other buildings are designed like this. It might be for stability, but what kind of architect needs a crutch like that for a standard four-wall tower. I mean, yeah, its tall, but not -that- tall." Pix approaches the wall, and begins to search it meticulously, on the inside and out.

Pix's Patented Triple Check
Search 1:[roll0]
Search 2:[roll1]
Search 3:[roll2]

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus watches on as Pix searches. Eventually, he found himself idly whistling the same tune she had carried as she searched, before realising and cutting it short with a gruff clearing of his throat. "What d'ye reckon Pix?"

[J-H]

Petunia also examines the wall.


Search [roll0] including +2 from Stonecunning

"If we can't find anything, I could hit the wall...if we're sure something's there."

[Oh My God]

The loose rock which Kalthor had previously noticed is re-discovered by Pix in her very thorough search. Determining that nothing ill tempered is attached to it, the clever fingers of the artificer can worry the block free, revealing a small cavity containing a pull ring, attached to a chain.

[Mahrke]

"Ah ha!" Shouts the girl. "I reckon I've found the widget that'll unfurl the secret of this tower, Ithy." She muses, trying to imitate a bit of that dwarven accent.

She spits on both her palms, and rubs them together dramatically, before latching both hands upon the iron ring, planting her feet, and giving a mighty tug, whilst narrating the event with as close to a booming voice as she can muster (that is to say, not at all). "BEHOLD! The secret of whatever this place is!"

[Oh My God]

At first, there is no response to the artificer's enthusiastic tug. Somewhere, unknown and unseen, a flywheel engages as a reservoir of sand begins spilling its load. Above, with a grinding that is sure to startle, most of the exterior face of the wall begins to shift, slowly dropping -down-.

When at last the portion of the wall finishes its descent into its recessed slot, a small passage is revealed hidden within the footprint of the wall, a steeply descending staircase carve from the same stone as the wall above. The air that puffs in your faces up the darkened stairs is dank and moldy, filled with odors ancient and organic.

[Mahrke]

The spry young artificer looks ready to give up on it, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hmm...maybe it just-" Musings are interrupted when the walls begins to descend, causing the youngling to stumble back a few steps and let out a yelp. When the epic unveiling is done, Pix looks upon the handywork with an appreciative nod, hands sassily planted upon her hips. "Okay...so...the whole secret place thingy is all on the outside. But its -really- secret. Also, I totally called it." She shouts to those on the inside of the building. "Aaaalso its dark and scary and probably full of monsters. So uh, front and center Pix Protectors."

[J-H]

Petunia moves over to the stairway to lead the way. "Remind me again, which of us can't see in the dark? I can."


Manifesting Vigor with 1pp for +5 temp HP, logged on sheet. Assuming Bite of the Wolf (4 min) is still active unless told otherwise...?

[Ithandor]

Magnus


Magnus continues to scan the surroundings somewhat warily, assuming that Petunia's not addressing a fellow dwarf.


Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

[Mahrke]

"Hey, I'll take height and no mustache over never needing a nightlight any day of the week." Squeaks Pix, rifling around in her haversack, and pulling out a shining pearl. She flicks it above her head with her thumb, where it begins to orbit lazily. "Besides, look at this thing." She gestures at the floating sphere with outstretched index finger, "I know you're jealous. Don't try to hide it." She draws out her crossbow, a heavy affair that looks a size to large for the teen. She casts it aside, where it begins to float in the air, before removing one final gadget; a large clockwork contraption that's all springs and steel. One of her spectacularly dangerous portable traps, which she hangs from a convenient hook on her belt.

Ready for their foray into the dark, Pix steps aside to let Kal through, before taking up her customary spot in the marching order.

[Dunkoro]

What, you think you're special because you have a lightened ball floating around your head? I have that too!

Then Kalthar proceeds to take out his own Dull Gray Ioun Stone (with continual flame), and makes it hover around his head.

[Mahrke]

Pix leans forward, raising a palm to Kalthar, offering the high-five, "Darkvision-snarkvision, am I right?"

[Dunkoro]

Kalthar high-fived Pix with a smile.
It sure is Pix, it sure is.

[J-H]

Petunia rolls her eyes and cautiously starts down the stairs.