--Wonders; the book of the Father’s Wisdom

    The passageway was wide enough for most of the group to travel down it without any difficult.  To the great frame of the paladin Iron Jubei it was a bit uncomfortable.  He had to almost crouch and his sides kept scrapping or bumping into the walls of the passage.
  Each member of the part was quite concerned for pitfalls or pressure plates or tripwires of any kind.  Even magical wards were being sought by Phelan.  Yet none were found. It would seem that the artificer of this passageway had not considered this secret tunnel to be in any danger of discovery or trespass.

  After a turn, not long into the passage, the adventurers lost sight of the doorway which had saved them from a grisly fate.  There was no sign of pursuit from the creeping blackness that had pursued them here either.  Another turn came and the passageway slanted upward rather sharply until finally it levelled out and the party came to a halt at another small chamber.  Similar to the one they had left before.  Though here was not crystal lantern and the walls curved inwards to form a domed ceiling with another door set almost in the roof the dome, a short stone staircase leading up to it.  Beside it was another lever which probably opened this doorway.  Though where it came out was something of a mystery.
[Anyone with training in dungeoneering may role to try and estimate were this passage has lead the party to.  In relation to the burned down villa that had once been the augur’s home.]

Phelan looked around the chamber curiously, taking in the staircase, roof and level. So far they hadn't encountered that destructive shadowy mass that had been following them. Hopefully it wasn't able to enter the passageway; nevertheless there was still a level of concern about it following them.

His head tilted to the side in thought, as he tried to figure out where their current location was.

Dungeoneering: 20!

Willa entered the apparently barren room and was instantly disappointed that there was so little for her to investigate.  She looked back down the tunnel and wondered if perhaps the smoke had been all that bad after all...

Jubei let out a low growl, visibly displeased by the whole ordeal of having to cram his large bulk through the staircase and was quite relieved when they finally got into the... well, slightly more spacious room. "I really don't understand why people like to live underground.", he muttered to himself and seemed quite intent to just pull the lever and open the door so that he could get out and have some space again without constantly bumping into things.

    By Phelan’s best guess he’d expect this area to be just beneath the surface of a hillock maybe some thirty or fifty feet away from the stable yard on northern side of the road they had used to enter the village.
  Jubei, not hearing any objections, made his way to pull the lever beside the doorway which flipped open and spilled cold and gloomy yet fresh air into the stuffy underground space.  The kaetyma advanced onto moist, glistening grasses part of him had thought he would never see again.  Not far before him he could make out the signs of a wide, hard-packed, dirt road a rather familiar one at that.  And to his left a few buildings with lit windows that most probably was Kyssea.  From the smell more than the not-too-distant whines and snorts he could tell that the stables were not too far away and that building had been located just at the western edge of the village when last Jubei had seen it.
  His train of thought was interrupted by a startled yelp and shaky query from a familiar voice that said “Who goes there?”

Drex is glad to be out of that place, removing the cloth around his mouth and nose he put there to lessen the putrid stench of that place. Taking a deep breath as he does this. The air was the freshened he had ever smelt.

Letting Jubei handle the guards, Drex did a quick survey of the terrain around them. He checks for any tracks or unnatural disturbances in there immediate area. This might prove useless but you never know what clues laid in plain sight. Maybe someone else knew about this entrance and came to inspect it.

11:14, Today: Drex rolled 30 using 1d20+12. Perception check. (to find footprints, flatend grase, broken twiges,... if any.)

Speeding past Iron Jubei, Willa slipped out of the exit onto open ground and happily declared: "Willa goes!"  Not seeing who had asked the question and probably looking in completely the wrong direction to do so.

Strangely enough the Kaetyma felt rather glad to have that grass under his paws again... it certainly beat wading through the blood, ichor and gore that had stained part of the ground in the basement and for a couple of moments he wiped them off the ground. "Shoes... that's what I need...", he muttered to himself and then turned to see who spoke there.
Only to be preempted by Willa on that notion. Nonetheless he felt inclined to say something anyway. "Someone who wants to know some things about the augur.", he rumbled with his deep voice.

    There was an intense moment of quiet following Jubei’s words before there was some rustling from the not too distant grass and out from the shadows strode a familiar pair – a tall, lanky human child, possibly male and a short, squat doola tywuar.  Both dressed old, worn and tattered hide armour which was too big on the human and too small on the doola.
  “Oh it is you.” the heft doola sighed with relief as he and his companion existed the shadows or a low stone wall.
  “We were not sure what was going on when we heard that rumbling.” the human said somewhat shakily as his eyes darted about the four.

  There was a slight pause.  Jubei gave them a meaningful look, awaiting them to answer his question.  The little doola jumped “Oh right!  The augur!  Uh…well I did not know him personally neither did Lento here.” the doola tywuar looked over to his companion.
  Who stammered “Uh, yes he mostly only saw to the merchants and uhm, nobles in the village.”
  “The captain might know more, you, uh have not seen her yet have you?”

Jubei furrowed his brows and grimaced at the response, but he quickly got a hold of his expression again. After all these two young militia fellas hardly were to blame for his current sorta sully mood.
"Well then... where may we find the captain? And just what rumbling are you talking about?", he asked and wondered rather genuinly what rumbling they had meant. The loud slam that had perceeded the smoke attack? Or just the sound of the secret passage opening?

Realizing that the two men were guards, Willa let out a small squeak and ran behind Jubei.  Once there she tried to spot the augur's house, wondering just how far the passage had led them.

17:36, Today: Willa rolled 16 using 1d20-1. Willa trying to spot the augur's house.

Drex is still looking for any signs, he was not planing to get into a conversation with the to guards even it there is nothing to find. But he does keep his keen ears focused on the conversation. "Grate more delays, but I guess the captain is an important individual. Not that I trust any one other than Vito in this town." Drex thinks to himself

He strays away from the group a little first to the left then to the right.

    In equal parts displeasure but also relief Drex found that nothing else seemed to be coming for them from the shadows of the village, or the countryside around it for that matter, at least for the moment.

  As the boy called Lento spoke “I think it came from that doorway you emerged from.  Come to think of it, it was more of a scrapping noise then a deep rumble…” he looked over at his smaller companion nervously.
  “Uh…probably, uhm…” the doola tywuar seemed to be thinking something over “I think we should take you there.”  He turned around and pointed to the south-east.  “The Captain has taken up the Old Watchtower on the south-eastern part of town as her…what did she call it again?” he scratched his head.
  “The Command Post I think.” provided Lento.  “Yes, uh, that.”

  While all this conversation was going on Willa could only distantly see part of the ruined structure that had been the Augur’s Villa, but it was dark and only a dim silhouette lit by the surrounding homes.

  Itching to be on the move, and not feeling entirely safe yet, but having no concrete reason not to follow the two militia men - at least for now – the adventurers made their way back into the village and across the village square, heading towards the southern edged of it.
  The Augur’s Villa came into view, and as each of the adventurers paid a great deal of attention to it, there was no sign of anyone being there at the moment.

Willa continued to try to remain inconspicuous as the party walked towards the watchtower.  As they neared the Augur's Villa, she watched the ruin with a grumpy expression.  Much like the conspirators, the smoke was dangerous and should be taught to behave!  The captain sounded important but the little umbrean could not help thinking that she could wait a little bit longer.  Who knows what the smoke might do in the meantime?  She crept over to Phelan and whispered her concerns to him.

"Mr Phelan, sir, Willa think, may be, must deal with smoke?"

17:23, Today: Willa rolled 20 using 1d20+2. Sneaking and whispering.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:24, Tue 20 May 2014.

"Hmm yes. That... was just us.", Jubei rumbled and gave a bit of a shrug to 'justify' the scraping noise the two militiamen had heard.
For a moment he wondered if he should tell them about the secret passage, but dropped that thought again as he realized that it wouldn't matter. There were two exits, possibly more even, and whatever wanted to leave could probably well do so no matter what the militia might try to do.
So the big kaetyma remained rather silent for the most part as they were lead to that command post to meet the captain.
"So,I'm afraid I don't quite remember, but she was the captain of the Gravewatch before, yes?.", he said to make a sort of small talk, and also to maybe get some extra information.

Drex followed the group without any protest. He wanted to see it the sours of the smoke left any traces but decided not to give any thing clues that they were there or of the discovery they have made, as they past the augers ruined home.

But what he could do, without attracting any more attention was too look around. Who was watching them, or not watching them because that would be even stranger. Considering they stood out like a sore thumb.

09:01, Today: Drex rolled 17 using 1d20+12. Perception check.

    Drex’s keen ears seemed to be the only ones beside Phelan, to pick up on Willa’s whisper although his keen eyes could not make out anything unusual in the dark ruins of the augur’s villa.
  “Uh…no, from what I heard she was a captain in the old king’s army but finished her tour of duty before the queen’s time.  She has a big farm not far from here, but she spends most of her time here in town though.” said Lento as the short doola tywuar beside him chipped in “And she spent time with the Gravewatch.  My da said she helped train the watchmen.”
  “Yes and you father also says that the moon is a great big dragon egg that will hatch upon the end of days.” Lento countered which made his companion look up at him with an annoyed expression.

  As the adventurers passed down a street leading off from the square they turned down a street which went almost south-east and from between the few houses they could spot a large familiar looking tower standing out over them.
  It was the same, blockish, octagonal tower within which they had met the wizard Uthnonin.  Though it had a structure built onto it, a long hall of at least two storeys.  Much of it was in the same style as that of the village’s grey-stone buildings.
  All around the perimeter of the watchtower were placed long, thin, wooden stakes with a cylindrical glass lantern tied to each which provided some candle light to the surrounding area.  Drex could even make out a few silhouettes in the dark windows of the watchtower.  Probably watchers he reckoned.  There was also light from within a few windows within the watchtower.

  A voice called out from a window just above the watchtower’s large doors  “Halt!  Declare yourselves and your intentions!”  The voice was somewhat firm and deep, but also a little slurred.
  Drex could just make out a snicker from somewhere up the watchtower as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:02, Wed 21 May 2014.

"If the moon really is a dragon egg then it will be the end of days either way if it hatches.", Jubei said with a rumble and chuckled a bit, yet he felt intrigued by that bit. "Where did he.. learn that?", he asked, but by then they had reached the tower and the watchmen called to them.
"We wish to speak to the Captain, let us in.", he then simply called back.

Willa watched the Augur's villa disappearing behind her with concern.  She had expected that they would return there, not be led on past it.  She was tempted to try and slip away and deal with the smoke problem herself.  Later might be too late, after all.  It could have done something bad by then, or have made its escape.  The only thing stopping her was that she had no idea how to deal with it...

In the end she decided that Phelan and the others were much more experienced in this sort of thing than she was and probably knew what they were doing. Shrugging, the worried look faded to her normal, cheerful smile.  However, it quickly reappeared when she saw the watchtower.

Guards.  A lone umbrean in a city of other races quickly learns to avoid them.  They have a habit of blaming innocent oozlings for every crime going.  And here Willa was, being led by two to a whole watchtower full?  That was not good.  Not good at all.  It was entirely possible that they would accuse her of all the undead stumbling about!  She couldn't have that!  How would she help the villagers then?

Whilst the guardsmen were distracted by Iron Jubei, Willa hoped that his massive form would keep them from noticing her as she ran and hid...

17:13, Today: Willa rolled 14 using 1d20+2. Hide!

Phelan was feeling fairly nervous. To a degree they had been dealing with other races for a while now, including the Isleborn. But to actually enter a guard tower with them brought a feeling of concern that they might not react too well to having him present. He had been listening curiously earlier to the conversation, noting down details that seemed pertinent; smirking slightly at the suggestion the moon was a dragon's egg.

As Jubei called out a response, he noted Willa attempting to hide behind the Kaetyma. Probably for good reason from what he had heard in the past of her race's mistreatment.

"A dragon's egg, now that is an interesting and scary thought all at the same time." Drex touch on this thought as he observed the surroundings.

Letting Jubei and Phelan handle all the talking, Drex will try to become inconspicuous. Which should not be to hared with his party, considering the composition of it, he is the most normal. The less people pay attention to him the more he can observe them and there actions without them knowing. In Drex's mind this will be the way he will catch the townsfolk of guard reviling there true motivations.

It is only a matter of time before the betrayers revile themselves.

"They can see us, they know who we are and why we are here. If they didn't they live under a rock. But I can judge by the snicker they do." He said to softly to thous in earshot.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:11, Fri 23 May 2014.

    As Jubei asked his question the doola answered back, “Uhm…sorry sir but I do not know.  Maybe he heard it from his da?”  just before they arrived at the watchtower.
  After Jubei called out the two militia men that had accompanied them nodded to them and said their shaky goodbyes and left to return to their dark post with blushes on the human’s face and the thick set doola hunching up a good bit.

  The inside the watch tower was dimly lit by a lone candle.  Beside the doorway a single militia men stood and asked the adventures to extinguish their lights.  The reason given was that the bright illumination would damage the night vision of the watchers in the tower.  So the adventurers grudgingly complied, though they remained suspicious.
  Willa was glad to remain unnoticed while she hid herself beneath Jubei’s metallic skirts.

  At the back of the tower the adventurers were lead up some stairs and onto the second level of the watchtower and told to go through the other doorway on that level.  This revealed a hallway that was part of the building adjoining the watchtower.  Where another militia men nodded and sent them on to a room at the end of the hallway.
  While moving through the building the adventurers could not help but notice the cobwebs and dust in the corners of the places they passed through.  This suggested the building had not seen much use until recently.
  Willa noticed scores of carefully concealed darkin marks.  One of them told the little umbrean something immensely important.  This place had once been the site of an umbrean colony and more importantly there was an entranceway to caves hidden in the lowest level of this building as well.  There were also the same sort of warnings scattered around about “the Voice in the Darkness” and about a “Poison of the Mind.”

  The party entered a small room, made so only because Jubei would take up one quarter of it by himself and so stood half inside the hallway and half inside the room.  It was well furnished with two small tables at the corners need the door.  A small desk behind which sat an middle aged woman who was busy reading a page as the adventurers entered the room.
  She was human and her hair was long if cut very short.  The blond colouring of her hair was fading out towards silver at the edges and her face, though chiselled was softened by wrinkles.  Drex could guess that she was probably around her 50’s.
  “Ah!  Welcome, moor yourselves.  I had been just puzzling over something.” She said as Drex and Phelan found chairs to sit on.  Willa however remained hidden beneath Jubei.
  “I am glad you have managed to come and see me before you disappeared off into the necropolis to fight whatever monsters are in there.”
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:20, Sun 25 May 2014.

Jubei was of course a little disgruntled to find himself having so little space yet again, but he did arrange with it, even though it was a little awkward to have so much of his rear sticking out into the corridor behind. But sacrifices had to be made either way.
"Well...", Jubei started but paused for a few moments again as he realized that he didn't actually recalled the Captain's name. ".. we decided to do some investigation first and we're not quite done with them yet. But I think you want to tell us what puzzles you, before we sour your day with our own questions. Or am I mistaken?", he decided to continue and glaze over that little bit.