DrK Slumbering Tsar IC

[Farmerbink]

Timoshko rises quickly at the pounding sound. Having trusted no one else more, he slept on a pallet in the common room, after fairly well barricading the door with a few tables. "Patience!" he bellows, as the knocks increase slightly in intensity. "This will take a moment!"

True to his word, he carefully moves the tables enough that he can open the door- some. Without quite a bit of force, or additional clean-up, it'll be a tight squeeze to fit through before the door knocks into the piles of furniture behind them. Timoshko makes no effort to hide this fact, as he opens the door, eliciting a loud bang as the door collides with the makeshift doorstops.

"You're not from the Camp." The scowling man doesn't ask. "What do you want?" He appears, for the moment, entirely unaware or unconcerned that he's standing in a boarding house, and the two newcomers are not.

[SanguinePenguin]

Tsythus replies through his doctor’s mask, “your assessment is correct - we have only just arrived. You are one of the Bender Brothers, I presume? I and my fellow traveler seek lodging and a workspace. I have business in the wastes. May we enter to discuss terms?”

Spoiler: OOC

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FYI - Tsythus sounds exactly like Bane in Dark Knight Rises

[Farmerbink]

The laughter that follows is an ugly thing, despite the well-formed features of the wide man who produces it. "Hey, everyone! They're looking for the Bender Brothers! Hahaha!" With a cruel grin, he turns back to the strangely-masked fellow.

"Those murderers are dead. We slew them in self defense, and by right of victory in battle have claimed what was their boardinghouse for our own. If you are a man of honor, you and your... companion are welcome to enter. As your host, I will guarantee your safety with my life until such time as you prove yourself undeserving." He scowls, this time appraisingly.

Spoiler: OOC

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I would normally roll sense motive, but that seems like jumping the shark in this context.

[Starbin]

Darsalla, Tiefling Magus//Swashbuckler

Darsalla snorted at the man's description of events. If they had killed them all, who was to say they were any safer under new ownership? Of course, he could have lied and just invited them in, too. Either way, Darsalla wondered if going in was a great idea ...

”Well we could go inside, and hope this one's legal claims are the way things work around here. Of course, if those Brother's were well liked or respected around these parts, we might be signing up for guilt by association.

Either way, make the call ... I hate standing out here, exposed like a raw nerve.”

---

OOC - chit-chat!

Effects: Darkvision 60’; ER 5 vs fire

Spoiler: Stats

Show

AC 15 HP 46 Move 30’ Init +4
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +8 Will +5
Arcane pool 6/6 (swift, +2 enh)
Darkness SLA 1/1
Charmed Life 1/1
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Intimidate +10, KS Planes +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Perception +9, Acrobatics +8, Craft (tattoo) +8, KS Arcana / Local +8, Use Magic Device +8, Fly +8, Perform (Dance) +6, KS Geography / History +5, Linguistics +5, Climb/Swim +4,

Spoiler: Spells

Show

0 (4) - prestidigitation, acid splash, detect magic,
1 (4) - mage armor, chill touch, shocking grasp, silent image
2 (3) - frigid touch, mirror image, pyrotechnics

Magic Items +1 spiked chain, +1 rapier, ring of protection +1, belt of dex +2, vest of resistance +1
Languages: Common Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Elven,

[Farmerbink]

The man mostly behind the door snorts. "I don't think anyone is well-liked around here," he grumbles, not quite to himself. He slams the door, and you can hear the shuffling of.... wood on wood? coming through the heavy door.

After a short time, the door opens again, this time wide enough to allow entry. "Come on in, if you want to." A mess of tables and chairs lies a few feet away, and the large man disappears into the relative darkness of the interior.

"All you lot still asleep?" he calls out, gruffly.

[RCgothic]

Izzy stretches and forces herself awake, having slept badly in the unfamiliar beds. "Coming!" she calls from upstairs as she hurriedly re-equips, before descending the stairs towards the front hall.

"Oh! We have newcomers?" she exclaims as she catches sight of the tiefling and the other masked figure standing in the door. "Er, welcome, I guess? Sorry for the mess, we had a bit of a rough first night. We're new here from Bard's Gate, and The Bender siblings tried to murder us in our sleep, which is something they apparently liked to make a habit of. So this place is ours now, I guess! If you want to stay, no charge, but in return we could use some help getting set up around here. The locals really haven't been too friendly and we may have to bang a few heads together to get this place straightened out."

[Starbin]

Darsalla, Tiefling Magus//Swashbuckler

Darsalla smiled sweetly and motioned to the mask-wearing man to enter. ”Ladies first ..." , then she followed. As they entered, she heard another voice, and saw a spry young warrior come into view. Seeing another female gave Darsalla a small measure of relief. She doesn't seem like the kind of person to be a plaything, so perhaps gang rape won't be one of my worries. Of course, there's always cannibalism ...

Stepping in, she glanced around, nodding in response to the woman's explanation. "I can speak for Mr. Creepy Voice here, but I would prefer a place to sleep that didn't require paying a ton, or worried about murderous innkeepers. Let me know what you need so I can come up with an adequate excuse to avoid helping!"

---

OOC - moar chit-chat!

Effects: Darkvision 60’; ER 5 vs fire

Spoiler: Stats

Show

AC 15 HP 46 Move 30’ Init +4
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +8 Will +5
Arcane pool 6/6 (swift, +2 enh)
Darkness SLA 1/1
Charmed Life 1/1
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Intimidate +10, KS Planes +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Perception +9, Acrobatics +8, Craft (tattoo) +8, KS Arcana / Local +8, Use Magic Device +8, Fly +8, Perform (Dance) +6, KS Geography / History +5, Linguistics +5, Climb/Swim +4,

Spoiler: Spells

Show

0 (4) - prestidigitation, acid splash, detect magic,
1 (4) - mage armor, chill touch, shocking grasp, silent image
2 (3) - frigid touch, mirror image, pyrotechnics

Magic Items +1 spiked chain, +1 rapier, ring of protection +1, belt of dex +2, vest of resistance +1
Languages: Common Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Elven,

[(Un)Inspired]

Rather unsettled with the murder attempts and the sounds of whatever may be lurking outside in the dark, Skynir decides that sleep is a luxury a bit too pricey for his tastes. Instead he settles in, gets as comfortable as possible, and spends two 4 hour sessions working an enchantment into his own boots. Damned if I’m gonna let myself get killed and these boots end up in some murderer’s hotel hideaway.

As dawn arrives an inescapable yawn nearly bowls him over. He concentrates a moment, rubbing his chest, and banishes the creeping sleepiness with a casting of Lesser Restoration. With domestic thought regarding caves and repurposed hotels in his head he paces around the room to stretch his legs, and begins his morning “meditation” to regain his spells. It’s only when the sounds of his friends conversing with visitors hit his ears that he pulls on his coat and steps out to see what morning has brung.

So… a plague doctor and a dominatrix. I guess it takes all kinds here in the desolation.

Ahoy! Im afraid friends are telling the truth. Room service last night involved less food and more murder than we were hoping for, buuuuuut it’s the desolation and beggars can’t be choosers. I’m Skynir; this is Izzy and Timoshko, Roger is around here somewhere too. If you’re not here for a fight then it’s a pleasure to meet you. If you’re looking for lodging then I guess you can stay here with us? But guys I think we should just heave this whole structure over to the house Hastur and I were building and I’ll staple it onto the structure with magic.


Oh… Hastur. We didn’t uhm… we didn’t all make it through the night. I think I saw there was a church or a temple or something in town. It probably wasn’t Hastur’s faith but I think we should bring his body there today to see if we can get it laid down for a gentle repose. He deserved better than to wake back up as one of the undead here.

[u-b]

Roger did not sleep for the rest of the night either, burning his last spell to keep watch without ill effects. In the morning, while he was still renewing his spells, there are newcomers. Well. In the morning. Newcomers. Well, maybe they find it safer to hike by night, but Roger decides to keep an eye on them, just in case. After he's done with preparing the magics, that is.

Spoiler

Show

Sorry, people, not too much of free time lately, but I am with you.

[SanguinePenguin]

"That is certainly an acceptable arrangement." The man bows and says, "I am Tsythus. If you need demolition for the task," he withdraws a fist sized sphere from his bandolier, "then I can be very helpful. Construction less so."

The man pauses, "... unless I were to join green vitriol with sal petrae in some spirit of box... some verdigris should stabilize it. This would grow... a lot, and it should be sturdy as well... within a month the fumes should subside enough that we could occupy the structure masked for an evening without ill effects. Where we would you like me to start?"

[Starbin]

Darsalla, Tiefling Magus//Swashbuckler

Darsalla nodded as another friendly person introduced themselves - a young male who's eyes traveled the length of her body with a 'knowing' gaze before suggesting they try another place as a shelter. At the announcement of someone's death, she raised an eyebrow. ”I'm Darsalla. So let me get this straight ... you're offering lodging in a place your dead companion was helping build? Why would you give up a working shelter in favor of an unfinished one? Either way, I don't know how to build anything, except perhaps a fire. "

Noticing Roger for the first time, she stepped back with a start. "Whoa, where did you come from? I'm guessing you're Roger ... but can I help you?" His watchful gaze was a little disconcerting, but if they had almost been murdered last night, it made sense.

Turning back to Skynir and Izzy, she asked, "So aside from almost getting murdered, what else are you lot up to? Anything we should know about the town?"

---

OOC - moar chit-chat!

Effects: Darkvision 60’; ER 5 vs fire

Spoiler: Stats

Show

AC 15 HP 46 Move 30’ Init +4
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +8 Will +5
Arcane pool 6/6 (swift, +2 enh)
Darkness SLA 1/1
Charmed Life 1/1
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Intimidate +10, KS Planes +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Perception +9, Acrobatics +8, Craft (tattoo) +8, KS Arcana / Local +8, Use Magic Device +8, Fly +8, Perform (Dance) +6, KS Geography / History +5, Linguistics +5, Climb/Swim +4,

Spoiler: Spells

Show

0 (4) - prestidigitation, acid splash, detect magic,
1 (4) - mage armor, chill touch, shocking grasp, silent image
2 (3) - frigid touch, mirror image, pyrotechnics

Magic Items +1 spiked chain, +1 rapier, ring of protection +1, belt of dex +2, vest of resistance +1
Languages: Common Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Elven,

[(Un)Inspired]

Weeeeell fume dissipation times aside, I think you might be being a bit too generous in assuming how much rock we’re actually working with. He returns Tsythus’ bow with a nod. I’ve got the magic to put it together, but if either of you have Architectural or engineering skills then you’re welcome to look over the plans our friend wrote yesterday.

He turns to Darsalla and try’s to parse both her words and the judgmental looks she dishes out in seemingly equal measure. I guess you could say I’m offering lodging in the building I’m constructing. Really though, I guess I’m checking if the two of you are interested in joining our company to fight through the desolation. I want to wipe that f***ing stain , he saying gesturing vaguely toward Tsar with his thumb, off the f***ing map. Roger, Izzy, and Timoshko have equally important reasons to be here. If you’re here you two must either have your own reasons for taking on the desolation, or you’re here to prey on the people that are. If you’re the latter than you picked literally the worst four people to start with and frankly you both look smarter than that. That means you’re probably the former and we all benefit by working together and shredding whoever ends up being the latter.

If you want to know more about the town then we can tell you on the way to the chapel to make sure my friend’s corpse is treated right. The money changer is on the way so you’ll want to come with us at either rate.

[Farmerbink]

Timoshko openly laughs as the conversation takes a harsher turn. "That's the spirit! More talk like that and you might actually survive out here!" He chuckles, remembers Hastur, and suddenly frowns. "For a time, at least. None of us will live forever."

He grabs a chair, faces the newcomers, and sits over it backwards. "Put simply, I don't trust either of you. I don't trust anyone in this gods-forsaken 'town', except maybe the folks I rode in with. Cross me and you'd best be sure you do it right. If you're honorable, well.... you're out of place." He grins again, as much animal as human. "Just like the rest of us."

Without transition, he begins talking to the group as a whole, letting them worry about catching up.

"I want to speak with the Hag again. She will know as much as anyone how deep o' sh** we're in. Might even be willing to tell us, rather than show us..."

[u-b]

Roger nods, then shakes his head, then continues his prayers. Evantually he is done. "Roger Makarrow. Sort of a scout for this group, not not local like Timoshko is, so here he leads on." Roger does not know **** about the hag, but does not object the idea that she's to be consulted. As good plan as any.

[Starbin]

Darsalla, Tiefling Magus//Swashbuckler

Darsalla shrugged at Howell’s response. ”I'm just thinking why build something if you have something … but mebbe you feel sad because your friend died here, so no worries.

And yeah, I figure nobody comes this way to just pass through. Not sure I’m up for wiping a city off the map, but who knows what tomorrow’ll bring, yeah?”

Timoshko’s response brought a grin to Darsalla’s face. "Good - trust ain’t something you hand out like biscuits around the fire … hell, I don’t trust myself half the time, let alone anyone else. But maybe we’ll learn to sleep as a group with only one eye open.

As for honor, that’s a weight around the neck I don’t need … and this place feels like the deep end of the lake. Nah, I prefer to play nice … until it’s time to not play nice. " leaning against the wall, she raised an eyebrow at one comment.

"So what’s this about a hag? "

---

OOC - extra chit-chat, with Moar RO!

Effects: Darkvision 60’; ER 5 vs fire

Spoiler: Stats

Show

AC 15 HP 46 Move 30’ Init +4
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +8 Will +5
Arcane pool 6/6 (swift, +2 enh)
Darkness SLA 1/1
Charmed Life 1/1
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Intimidate +10, KS Planes +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Perception +9, Acrobatics +8, Craft (tattoo) +8, KS Arcana / Local +8, Use Magic Device +8, Fly +8, Perform (Dance) +6, KS Geography / History +5, Linguistics +5, Climb/Swim +4,

Spoiler: Spells

Show

0 (4) - prestidigitation, acid splash, detect magic,
1 (4) - mage armor, chill touch, shocking grasp, silent image
2 (3) - frigid touch, mirror image, pyrotechnics

Magic Items +1 spiked chain, +1 rapier, ring of protection +1, belt of dex +2, vest of resistance +1
Languages: Common Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Elven,

[DrK]

With Hastur's body in tow you are able to trudge through the morning layer of dust that coats everything with heavy white powder coating. The crunch of the bone dust as unpleasant as the bitter taste in your mouth as you walk across towards the swampy tree where the hag had made her lair with her weird badger/wolf/bear beasts. As you approach the door swings open as the lumbering Mama Grim steps out, a swamp hag with baggy greenish brown skin and sickly, jaundiced-looking eyes. Her hair is a massive tangle of greasy black locks into which she has tangled bits of feather, bone, and assorted detritus. She is accompanied by one of her 2 goblin bear pets, giant creature resembling massive wolverines with toothy snouts, long, sharp claws, and reddish-brown pelts.
She pauses, yellow eyes staring hard at you all and finally the cloth covered body of Hastur. She shakes a head "Not much I can do for that one. Can't drink potions if you be dead. He'll be one for Griswald." she adds pointing to a hut away from the rest of the Camp sits a long, low structure with a rounded roof composed of poorly cured hides lashed to
sticks.

[Farmerbink]

Timoshko grunts- acknowledgement. "We came to you first for another reason," he begins. "The Bender Brothers killed him. Err... maybe the sister? The one looked like a Dark Elf when she cast her death magic, but she looked like a Gnome after I returned the favor." He shrugs- the details aren't important.

"Point is this: they tried to kill us in our sleep, but lost. One of ours paid for their games with 'is life. How deep o' sh*t are we in, here? I figure we won- the boarding house is ours now. I'd like to know if we can expect the urser or someone else to come try and finish what the Brothers began, yeah?"

[DrK]

The hag looks at Timishko then cackles, a truly unnerving sound. "Griswald will want their bodies then. The Bender family have met their match. The fates have snipped their threads and the nine hells tackle them and torment their pathetic souls." Still chuckling with amusement she then looks down at you all. "You had best get comfortable in the boarding house. Our benevolent leader..." at that she glances at the smith where you had met the strange smith who seems to make the rules. "He won't care they are dead. Got what was coming, mightt makes right... and you did it quietly without disrupting the town. But he will expect the boarding house to operate, and a place for visitors to stay. If the murder is low, again not his concern. But you running the boarding house will be. If you have no taste for it, plenty of jaded folk here who will take it from you and turn from prospecting to landlord."

[Farmerbink]

Timoshko nods soberly. "This is good. We will deliver their corpses as you suggest." He eyes the smithy unhappily. "I am not here to run an inn," he grumbles. After a moment, he adds, "-nor a murder house, though that would be more amusing."

Bowing deeply to the hag, he asks leave. "We will see to it now. Thank you for your candor."

He prowls away, still glancing towards the sound of hammer on anvil with an unhappy glare. "Don't like that man at all," he mutters, leading the way to the indicated hut.

"Guess we'll have to go back for the bastards' corpses." He spits in the dirt. "Whatever."

[Starbin]

Darsalla, Tiefling Magus//Swashbuckler

Darsalla watched the situation play out, silent as she listened to the dynamic between the group and the hag. She saw the trust they put into the hag, and understood it on a certain level. Monster's tend to be true to themselves, more oft than not ... and there was an honesty in that. However, she also heard about the smith, or leader as the hag put it. As the group moved away from the hag's home, she murmured to the others, ”So which one of you lucky souls is going to take us to the blacksmith? Or should we just go on our own, while you lot figure out your merchant's license?”

---

OOC - newbs could head to the smith for money exchange ...

Effects: Darkvision 60’; ER 5 vs fire

Spoiler: Stats

Show

AC 15 HP 46 Move 30’ Init +4
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +8 Will +5
Arcane pool 6/6 (swift, +2 enh)
Darkness SLA 1/1
Charmed Life 1/1
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Intimidate +10, KS Planes +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Perception +9, Acrobatics +8, Craft (tattoo) +8, KS Arcana / Local +8, Use Magic Device +8, Fly +8, Perform (Dance) +6, KS Geography / History +5, Linguistics +5, Climb/Swim +4,

Spoiler: Spells

Show

0 (4) - prestidigitation, acid splash, detect magic,
1 (4) - mage armor, chill touch, shocking grasp, silent image
2 (3) - frigid touch, mirror image, pyrotechnics

Magic Items +1 spiked chain, +1 rapier, ring of protection +1, belt of dex +2, vest of resistance +1
Languages: Common Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Elven,

[u-b]

Roger checks for any fresh (tonight's) tracks around inn and the camp in general, helps transport the corpses, guides people to the blacksmith, opines on the layout of the new building and generally does nothing much. He does not care if people want to head out today, especially since some have just came, but remains ready for that opportunity. In any case, once the plans become clear, he goes to Finn's to check his gang.

[RCgothic]

"I think we should hire someone to run the boarding house for us and mind it whilst we're not here. Perhaps we could send for staff from Bard's Gate, I'm not sure ai trust anyone here," Izzy says. "But we're going to need more than the cash we have on hand. I'd like to go out into the wastes and see what we can recover."

[SanguinePenguin]

Tsythus’s mind continues to stew on the formula for these alchemical bricks. As he works through it, his body operates by a mental subsystem of basic actions while he progresses through the world. He follows along to see the hag. If prodded, his responses are terse and mechanical, crudely optimized to put an end to the distraction with minimal consequences. Finally, after he completes the alchemical construction process in theory, this subsystem is disengaged, he processes the buffer of all he has been hearing and doing, and reengages by speaking, ”it seems bringing the bodies to this smith is in order. If maintaining the boarding house is to be thrust into our charge, we should get this from the bulette’s mouth directly.”

[Farmerbink]

Timoshko only grunts. "They deserve less than whatever he plans to give 'em. Still, at least the bastards don't weight much."

[DrK]

Heading to the grave keeper with the bodies Timoshko is surprised as he approaches the hard wooden shack surrounded by bumpy ground at the stench, the stench of rotting and death. Atop the shack a half dozen ravens sit cawing, each clutching a bone in one of their claws. The undertaker as he approaches is robed heavily but as Griswald raises his head Timishko smells the grave stench emanating from the creature. It’s grey skin, yellow eyes and ragged decayed teeth belonging to an undead ghast.
It looks at Timoshko, perhaps feeling a kinship to the barbaric cannibal. “ah. The gnomes.” He says in a thin raspy voice. “They assailed the wrong character I feel. Very well. A small pit is all they’ll require.” he adds with a satisfied nod as he surveys the bumpy field next to his shack.

——-

Approaching the smithy some of the others can hear the ringing of metal upon metal and see the smith hammering a barrel stave. He looks up, still that prenatural cool in the forge despite the raging furnace. His crisp cultured tones ask “Ah, a change in management of the boarding house. You seek assurance that there will be no reprisal. I assure you that family will not be missed and you may rest east. But… you must run the house. Whether you run it or pay someone on your behalf the continued good will in the camp requires a boarding house”

———

For Izzy as she gazes out into the wastes she can look to the east or west onto the barrows or the bone white dusty plains. Both offer options and you’ve learnt of the Druid grove in the bone waste or the manor that you now own in the battle fields to the North east

[Starbin]

Darsalla, Tiefling Magus//Swashbuckler

Darsalla raised an eyebrow at Tsythus’s comment, wondering why he had presumed they would all be running the boarding house. She had no intentions of spending her days hosting the saltiest of folk seeking their fortunes in the Wastes. However, she kept quiet, following the group that headed to the smithy. There she learned about the currency of the Camp, and smirked as the smith levied responsibility of the boarding house upon the gnomes killers. Walking over, she dropped 60 gold in the one chest and withdrew ten iron chips and 20 iron shards that she pocketed afterwards.

Done with the exchange, she exited, ready to join the others. To Izzy, she commented, ”You mentioned heading out to the wastes. After you settle up how to deal with the boarding house, I'd like to join whoever is heading out. This camp is lovely, but not so much that I want to spend more time in it than not.”

---

OOC - Swapping coins and ready to move out.

Effects: Darkvision 60’; ER 5 vs fire

Spoiler: Stats

Show

AC 15 HP 46 Move 30’ Init +4
Saves: Fort +7 Ref +8 Will +5
Arcane pool 6/6 (swift, +2 enh)
Darkness SLA 1/1
Charmed Life 1/1
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Intimidate +10, KS Planes +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Perception +9, Acrobatics +8, Craft (tattoo) +8, KS Arcana / Local +8, Use Magic Device +8, Fly +8, Perform (Dance) +6, KS Geography / History +5, Linguistics +5, Climb/Swim +4,

Spoiler: Spells

Show

0 (4) - prestidigitation, acid splash, detect magic,
1 (4) - mage armor, chill touch, shocking grasp, silent image
2 (3) - frigid touch, mirror image, pyrotechnics

Magic Items +1 spiked chain, +1 rapier, ring of protection +1, belt of dex +2, vest of resistance +1
Languages: Common Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Elven,

[Farmerbink]

Timishko blinks, the only sign of his undeniable surprise. "Nothing should surprise me here," he murmurs. The bodies apparently dealt with, he hurries to the urser, just in time to hear his unexpected reassurances. "It's for good will, is it?" he rumbles, incredulous- announcing both his presence and displeasure with the declaration.

After Darsalla makes her own exchange, he begins prowling back to their unexpected base of operations. "Might as well make the place more suitable," he grumbles. "It is nice to not worry about where we'll sleep when we're here," the brute adds, thoughtfully.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So he said we have to run the place, but nothing really past that. I think we should build out the boarding house into more of a keep, given half the chance. At least fortify the main entrances, and consider digging a private well in the basement.

If anyone wants to take leadership, a cohort expert or rogue that can run the day-to-day would be outrageously ideal. Until something like that takes place, I think we're stuck making day trips, at best, into the wastes.

[DrK]

Part of the morning is spent in the boarding house cleaning out the last of the gnome's effects and burying some of the parts of past victims found stashed in various locations. With that done Izzy looks out towards the north east across the bone white plains that form the ashen waste. The southeastern quadrant of the Desolation is by far the most desolate. It is called the Ashen Waste with good reason. A seemingly continuous wind crosses this region carrying with it a perpetual cloud of a fine, powdery dust. Bone storms occur most frequently in this region. The omnipresent dust gets into everything and covers it with a fine coating of chalky powder. It is not uncommon for travelers here to have coughing fits as a choking coat forms inside an open mouth. It is also often difficult to see. Even when the wind is not blowing, a constant haze hangs in the air creating a feeling as if one is within a fog bank. It is to here that the main camp of the Army of Light was moved after the Chaos Rift was formed. The few wells and springs were jealously guarded, and many were overused until their water supply was exhausted and they went dry. The constant movement of tens of thousands of men and horses trampled the already-dry ground into the fi ne dust that exists today. When rains do come they create clumpy mud and quicksand pits, but these quickly dry and return to their powdery state — other than the occasional quicksand pit that remains nearly undetectable on the field as a hazard to visitors.



From the information Izzy had received she knows the ruins of the manor that she has been sent to reclaim is not too far into the ashen wastes, only a scant 9-10 miles into the waste by the Tomb of the Sleeping Knight (A4). The Tomb built in the grounds had been built by the archmage Zelkor, one of the generals of the light. This lonely monument is all that is left of a contingency plan left behind by the mighty Zelkor to ensure that Tsar and the surrounding plains did not fall back into enemy hands after a passage of time when others might have grown less wary.

Spoiler: Know History DC 22

Show

To this end the archmage commissioned a war captain and his company to serve as a reserve force. The war captain, a powerful aasimar fighter named Argos, volunteered for the duty and was placed in a magical state of suspended animation. His company of warriors was likewise placed in a similar state. Zelkor placed them in a reinforced bunker with a magical timing device that in fifty years would release Argos from his sleep. He could then wake his comrades, and a battle-ready force, who had not forgotten the terrible battles and grim events. However, something clearly went wrong and they never awoke!

Travelling in the ashen waste
Its like gravelly untracked desert. So a DC20 survival to navigate anywhere - overland travel is at 2/3 speed so its a 4 hour walk if you can navigate successfully
The temperature is cold, all the time and a thin cloud of dust hangs in the air limiting visibility to ~200ft

Weather and random encounters are a thing

[u-b]

Roger is fairly confident he can get Izzy there by night without hitting any natural hazards, assuming nothing untoward has happened with his lot that would require to delay the mission, and he declares as much. He is less confident about camping his lot in the dust, but can do something about it in less then one hour total.

Spoiler

Show

The plan is...
1. To have a lunch, not taking undue time while at it.
2. To make everyone of his (one man, two dogs, one horse, one bird) some breathing protection from some bedsheet(s) we now have.
3. To take 10 on survival for a total of 22.
4. To take 10 on perception for a total of 30 with the animals making their own checks, to assist or otherwise.

The usual arrangement of the dogs sniffing on the sides, Roger looking ahead and the bird circling overhead, but maybe a bit tighter than in normal visibility conditions.

[Farmerbink]

Timoshko retrieves his hooded-and-masked cloak in preparation for travel in the ashen wastes. "It's not perfect, but no part of this hell hole is likely to be that," he grumbles, fastening it tightly over his mouth and nose. With his map and compass, jealously guarded against the harsh and sandy winds, the brute prepares to trudge at the group's rear, using his height and speed to watch over the rest of their company.

"Are we planning to camp in the estate when we arrive? Travel back to the boarding house will be impossible during day light, starting now."