The world after the demon war. (A ‘what if’ treasure adventure.)

[Holy-hunter]

It was a cold, still, star filled night. A slither of a moon offered little to no light. A gentle breeze whispered over the dry barren land that surrounded you. It had soft dead hills and was pocketed with small old craters otherwise remaining near flat and empty.

You were hardly surprised when half among you travelling with the caravan suddenly turned against the others. This is the world now, 20 years after the demon war. Honour and justice are but myths lost to the ages, no one is left to uphold them. The monsters are gone but their influence remains, creatures tainted by their blood roam desecrated lands. Demonic whispers reach desperate hearts, twisting and corrupting lost souls.

This appeared to be your last night alive. Out numbered, out matched, sprung upon by the very people who were supposed to be watching over you on guard.
Only by luck has a blade not been put through you yet. In the darkness you can make out the shadows of about four men walking the sleeping area, stabbing or clubbing indiscriminately at the occupied bed rolls.

You feel groggy, slow to react, but you did not drink that much last night.

Other people are also starting to stir to the noise, one shoots up in horror. You can’t make out who it is, nor do you get the time to look closer. Near as soon as they stood you hear the twang of crossbow strings followed by the whistles and thuds of multiple bolts hitting their chest sending them straight back down to the ground.

It is dark, the fire that sat in the middle of the sleeping travellers long extinguished. Carts and caravans form a wide circle around everyone, once intended to protect from the wind, now seeming like a prison with armed jailers standing upon. The six horses can still be heard just by an opening in the circle of vehicles. Memory puts a donkey at the other end.

This voyage started twenty people strong, who knows how many are left or even on your side.

[flame12]

As Orville wakes up, he tries to look around from where he lies, hoping to get a better idea of where the bolts came from while trying not to draw too much attention to himself as he desperately attempts to think of a plan to either take down these men or to get to the horses so he can escape into the shadows of the night.

[Holy-hunter]

Orville sees and hears very little in the colourless panic and commotion, sleep, confusion and the sudden onset of soft rain hindering his vision. He does hear the thudding of feet on the earth as more people wake and start to run for it, bustling into him as the pass. Then there’s the gargling cry of a dead man. Somewhere else the ring of steel on steel echoes out before a whiny of the horses now spooked breaks the silence people tried to hold. It erupted as one big thunderous commotion, escalating quickly. Shouts and cry’s ringing out into the still night in all directions. He could not make out the words but there was plenty of fear, confusion and anger along with grief stricken cry’s and pleading.

Somebody grabbed at his shoulder when passing. ”Quickly” an elderly male voice said, pulling Orville in the direction of the horses. Aiming just for the left of the gap made by the now rearing horses.

On top of the carriage you head towards a silhouette of a man holding and aiming a drawn crossbow can be seen. He doesn’t seem to fire upon anyone though.

[flame12]

Not having any better plan, Orville follows the elderly man's lead and makes a break for it. He sees the man on the carriage, but hopes he can run by undetected in the night rather than risk getting drawn into the fight he hears around him.

[Holy-hunter]

The man on the carriage is drawn to the same noise you are. A sudden thud of a body hitting the dirt and then the following sound of hooves as one of the horses runs free.
In the dim light you can see the fallen body getting back up, presumably thrown from the fleeing horse.
That left only five.
The figure on the carriage runs to the edge, shouting something incoherently as he does. Meanwhile another horse is freed from its restraints and gallops off with two figures huddled on its back.

A new cry emerges into the nights sky, one that is neither human nor beast, but something in between, and you suddenly realise why the crossbowman had stopped firing and was now trying to flee.

The shrill sharply punctuated clacking and gurgling sounds of the goblinoid language coming from a small horde of the feral creatures descended on the camp.
They were under attack, again.

[flame12]

Orville stops only for a moment at the sound of the approaching goblins before he breaks into a sprint, heading for the horses. He might have slipped away from a group of humans, but he didn't favor his chances against a group of goblins.

[Holy-hunter]

A small group had gathered at the rearing and neighing horses, about 8 at quick estimation. The crossbowman arrives just as you do. You see the flash of steel flicker in the moonlight as he approaches behind a woman who just untied a horse and was about to climb on it.
On the other side two people, one of them quite young, had awkwardly climbed onto a horse but were unable to reach the reigns.
At the third horse two people were trying to aid someone badly injured onto its tall back.
Then there was the last horse which people tried to keep clear of, its eyes were wide, nostrils flaring, white spittle dripped from its mouth. It kicked and bucked when ever touched, flicking its head around wildly.

All the horses were tied to one central stake by their reigns. None wore saddles although they were kept nearby.
Everyone was panicked and rushing, most only aware of the first threat, some knowing the truth. Either way it was chaotic.

[Continental Op]

Gydion woke up late, only coming awake as someone next to him was getting clubbed. Maybe he did indulge a bit too much of the mead that evening, but he quickly grabbed his weapons and backpack and rolled away from the group assaulting the sleepers. Luckily for him (except for his back), he had passed out in his armor. Gydion found cover under a carriage and stopped to try to fgiure out what was going on.

A brief assessment of the situation left Gydion disappointed, but not surprised. Not one to spend a lot of time contemplating his actions, Gydion quickly decided to escape from this turn of events. He crawled between the carriages and made his way to the horses, trying (not very successfully) to be quiet and not draw attention to himself. But maybe in the general chaos it was enough to avoid notice.

Arriving on the scene and seeing the scramble for the horses, Gydion is unsure what to do next. Competing with the small mob for a horse does not seem ideal, and he does not trust his horsemanship enough to approach the lone, wild horse.

[NiKkatsu]

Another man emerges from the flickering darkness and joins the group, out of breathe and covered in blood. Clad in leather armor dyed purple worn over a cotton shirt, the man bears a regal presence that immediately betrays his noble birth. In the one hand, he holds a curved dagger of remarkable craftsmanship, with a bone hilt carved in the shape of a raven's head. In the other hand, a large shield bearing the crest of house Nadaar: a rearing honey badger.
'Hell of a night, innit?' he asks, to no one in particular. 'What the hells happened out there?'
He notices the injured man and steps up towards him, chanting softly while clutching a silver pendant around his neck. A soft blue light surrounds his hand and he gently presses the hilt of his dagger to the man's wounds. As he does, the light seems to gently seep into him.

Spoiler: cure wounds

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(1d8+3)[11]

'Better than nothing. Should get him through the night, at least. Well... Shall we ride? Foul creat...'
He stops mid sentence as he notices the flash of steel.
'You there! Drop the weapon, now! There will be no more senseless killing tonight.'

[Holy-hunter]

Spoiler: Gydion Perception

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Gydion saw the shadowy figures atop the carriages armed with crossbows turn inward and aim at the crew. He saw the man who must be their leader. Burin Drastof. A burly halforc. And Gydion saw the spear escape the shifting shadows in the distance and pierce Burin in the back, heralding the cries of charging goblins.
He also saw a lone man fighting back against his attackers armed only with a club. The conflict making them oblivious to the new coming threat. People were fleeing in all directions but most headed towards the horses.

At the horses, the bandit with the sword replied with a snarl.
”There need not be anymore killing if you all back away and let me take this ‘orse.” his sword was raised and at the ready.
The healed man and those aiding him are shocked and dumbfounded. In their disbelief they look nervous, uttering repeated thanks and praise as they all climb the horse.

[NiKkatsu]

Ghix points to Gideon and Orville: 'You two. You seem like capable men. Help me take down this thug while the others flee. We can save ourselves after that. I have no patience for brutes who would bully the weak.'
Barely finishing his sentence, he swiftlyy lunges towards the bandit, trying to catch him off guard. He pretends as though he would strike high on the left, but at the last moment pulls out some fancy footwork, a quick flick of the wrist, and brings down his blade to the right, aiming to sink his dagger between the man's ribs.
(1d20+5)[23] if a hit (1d4+3)[7]

[flame12]

Orville looks around at his name being called, and sees Ghix attacking one of the bandits. Figuring that trusting in a divine power as being better than trusting any mortal around him, Orville prepares to attack the bandit, hoping that whatever figure Ghix serves is at least paying some attention.

Pointing a single finger at the bandit, Orville smirks and says but a single word, "Burn."

Spoiler: Attack

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Firing a flame bolt (1d20+5)[14] to attack (1d10)[1] damage if it hits

[Continental Op]

Gydion rushes up to the others, drawing his rapier and dagger as he goes. When he gets near the officious noble and the firestarter, he says in a low, but strained voice, "We do not have time for all of this, there are goblins attacking the caravan. I do not want to add to the chaos, but we all need to get out of here as fast as we can."

Gydion quickly looks at the would-be thug and points his sword at him. "You know about the goblins, don't you? You can either waste time fighting us or you can get a head start running."

Spoiler: OOC

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Edit: That last part is assuming the thug is still alive, of course.

[Holy-hunter]

A mighty roar accents Gydion’s point as an ogre flips one of the carriages. The wounded bandit wastes no more time and begins fleeing into the night.
The woman who was already at the horse is now upon it, she looks to you but her eyes get caught on something behind you. The goblins are close. Fear takes her face and no words escape her trembling lip, she reaches out to help someone onto her horse but panic prevents her from committing to the action.
With her arms wrapped around its neck she kicks her heels into its flank. The beast didn’t need much persuasion to get going.

The awkward trio with the once injured man fashioned a rope harness and had slowly moved off, finding their rhythm and balance on the creature. “Run north.” One of the men called back to you.

The young couple on the other horse were still struggling to remove the horses binding, that held it to the pole.

A sudden ‘THWACK’ was followed by a sickly crunch and then a thud as a charging goblin got too close to the wild horse.
Another was behind, learning from the first it keeps a wide berth around the horse as it comes at you, it’s pointy stick waving menacingly in the air.

[NiKkatsu]

'Wise words. North it is! One of you (he addresses Gydion and Orville) should cut that rope to free the horse - I'll distract the goblin.' he sprints forward, putting away his melee weapons and drawing his crossbow instead. 'Stay away, you filthy beast!' he roars at the goblin while pretending to shoot at it. He hopes the menacing feint might scare them into hesitating, which could buy the man and his two new allies just the precious few seconds they need to get away...

Spoiler: intimidation

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Intimidate of [roll]1d20+2[/roll

]

[NiKkatsu]

Oups... Typo
Here it is then: (1d20+2)[17]

[flame12]

Not wasting any time, Orville rushes forward while drawing his dagger, slashing at the ropes to free the horse before turning to run North, cursing under his breath as he ran.

[Holy-hunter]

The lone goblin was easily intimidated and moved onto looting a nearby caravan until his reinforcements arrived, allowing you to escape unhindered.

You spend hours travelling through the dark of night, trying to put distance between yourselves and the horrific encounter behind you. The sounds of commotion eventually fade but carried on long after you left as not all got away. Around you the odd shadow appears in the far distance, other escapees and people fleeing, all scattered about. Shadowy forms raising and falling from sight as they travel across the soft rolling hills and through the harsh sudden craters.

In your group estimations there were at least 3 score of goblins, a handful of hobgoblins and definitely two ogres. The guttural howls and viscous barking let you know they had worgs too.

A sliver of light lines the horizon warning of the dawn about to come. The sky lightens but will still be dark for a little longer. You reach the ridge of a wide crater or small gulley and hear a muffled cry from down within.

”help, anyone!? Please.” Desperation, panic and fear cause the voice to tremble.
In the centre of this bowl you see a collapsed horse and can almost make out a figure beneath it. The entry walls are steep and filled with loose rocks, low leafless shrubbery and stubborn curling roots.

[Continental Op]

Gydion stops near the edge of the crater, shakes his head and sighs. He scans the way behind them, looking and especially listening for their pursuers as he removes the rope from his backpack.

Spoiler: OOC

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Gydion's Perception check: (1d20+2)[8]

[flame12]

Orville takes a look behind, watching to see if anything following them was close enough to be a concern, before moving to help Gydion securing the rope.

Spoiler

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(1d20-1)[3] Perception

[NiKkatsu]

Curious, Ghix looks down into the gully, on the lookout for obvious threats.
'Can you move?' he asks.
(1d20+5)[6]

OoC: we terrible at looking xD

[Holy-hunter]

You are 50 ft away from the fallen horse which you can hear breathing heavily, it is half concealed by the low shrubbery and various jutting rocks. The incline is not so bad, slow movement will keep you upright otherwise an acrobatics check of 10 is needed to move over this difficult terrain unhindered.
(Clearly the horse failed)
Looking around you don’t see much, shadows continue to seemingly be dancing in the distance behind you.

You feel as though the sounds of howling worgs has not faded during your travels as much as you might like. They could be following you.

The woman continues to mutter pleas, fearing you might be enemies.

[Continental Op]

Gydion speaks loudly enough to carry into the crater, "Don't worry, we are going to help you." As he hands the rope to Orville, Gydion tells him, "It looks like I can make it down without too much trouble, but I may need help moving the horse. Please drop the rope down if I ask for it. And keep an eye out for those worgs?"

He smiles at both of his companions and hops over the edge, making his way down the rocky slope.

Spoiler: OOC

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Acrobatics Check: (1d20+5)[17]

[NiKkatsu]

'I shall surveil the road behind us. Call if you need help hoisting the rope.' Ghix turns his back to the gully, dagger in hand, shield held high. He mutters a short prayer under his breath, to calm his mind. How did things come to this? He was still baffled...

[flame12]

Taking the rope from Gydion, Orville silently nods. It feels weird to trust his back to a stranger, but after the cooperation the three were able to manage earlier, he is at least willing to focus on rescuing the person in the valley for now.

[Holy-hunter]

Luck can be a fickle thing, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Deceptive in its design.

It came from beneath them, Gydion feeling it the worst. The tremble in the ground as the earth shook violently, trying to rob them of their feet.
(DC12 Acrobatics or fall prone)
If this did not cause reason for fear then you were either a fool or already dead.

From the sloping wall, in the space just above Gydion and beneath where Ghix and Orville stood, the ground burst open with a violent spray of rocks and debris scattering through the air.
(DC14 reflex save, disadvantage if prone
(2d6)[12] damage, half if successful.)
A giant sharp toothed maw emerged through the cloud of dust and out of the new hole, snapping hungrily. The body of an enormous worm-like creature quickly followed, lifting its head high into the sky,
it was at least 15ft in the air with an unknown amount still underground. It’s body was nearly 5 foot wide with a hide covered in chitinous plates that were dark purple in hue.

As quick as it appeared, it coiled into a mass and lunged at the horse. The ground thundered once again. The worm, nearly consuming the horse whole, it reared back, the horse half hanging out of its mouth and slammed it back into the ground. The earth shook and the air roared as the creature continued with its thunderous burrowing once again, vanishing beneath the ground. The violent trembles slowly fading.

Dust and sand filled the air and everyone’s lungs, obscuring view. A serene silence followed as light began to touch the sky.

[NiKkatsu]

Acrobatics -> (1d20+3)[6]
Reflex -> (1d20+3)[6]

Ghix falls prone and is knocked unconscious by the debris...

[NiKkatsu]

Death save -> (1d20)[2]

[flame12]

Orville barely managed to keep his footing, despite the sudden barrage of debris. Once the worm leaves, Orville notices that while he and Gydion are still standing, Ghix appears to be unconscious. Silently cursing his luck, Orville moves to try and keep Ghix alive, hoping he doesn't make it worse in the attempt.

Spoiler

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(1d20-1)[6] medicine to stabilize

[Holy-hunter]

As you huddle around and try to help the injured, the ground rumbles once again. Seems you can’t catch a break.
Then, suddenly, it is not there. Crumbling beneath you the earth vanished beneath your feet as a small hole opens up and you unavoidably fall into the worms cavern. But it doesn’t stop there. You tumble down pushed by an avalanche of sand as more ground gives way and more tunnels open up. It feels like it goes on forever, your momentum carried on by sand or collapsing tunnels until finally your tumbling journey ends.


The cold hard uneven flooring meets you. You have landed on hundreds or thousands of small solid hard disks. Coins.
You have fallen into what can only be described as a dragons lair. Beside the vast horde of glowing treasure sitting before and beneath you, the giant bones of a deceased dragon curling around it defensively is a definite giveaway.
Large blank empty eye sockets stare down judgmentally at you.

Coins, coins of all colour and size make up the vast majority of the treasure that you sit on, growing in size and towering before you. Gold and platinum are the dominating force amongst them. It’s a wealth like you couldn’t even imagine. It’s captivating, it’s surreal. There is probably more gold here then even a king would ever own. Silver chalice’s set with moonstones. Blue, black, yellow and even star sapphires litter the hoard along with emeralds, rubies and opals. You spot a comb, a painting and other lavish items. A a long steel handle protrudes the pile, it’s head, what ever it may be, deeply buried in the treasure.

Beside you in a small clearing of treasure lays some crumpled clothing and a forgotten long wooden staff encased in iron and inscribed with magical sigils and runes.

If you manage to look away you will see a small wooden table off to the side, away from all the treasure, situated between two simple wooden seats. Along the walls where it sits are tall overflowing bookshelves. Upon the table is a dragonchess set mid game, two gold cups set with emeralds, and the only light source in here. A quartz Statuette of a Goddess of Good wreathed in Blue Continual Flame

To the side of the table is a smaller, seemingly more significant pile of treasure spilling out of an opened chest.

Beyond the bookcases further around the cavernous wall a wide dark alcove works to conceal the long alchemical work station within it. Potions of various colours and consistency fill box after box. Ingredients and jars line the shelves chiseled out of the wall above. Decanters, mortars and all manner of tools lay scattered about.

One more alcove completes the room.
This one is deeper than the others. Almost another room onto itself absent of any light.