The day after returning from the temple everyone is kept quite busy - repairing equipment, restocking basic supplies, debriefing with the council (Jaroo the druid of the Grove, Terjon chief cleric of the church of St Cuthbert, Elmo's father & Captain of the militia, Ostler the Innkeeper, Mytch the Miller, Burne the magic-user, and Rufus, Burne's associate) both as a group and then later individuals.

Towards the end of the day Iviana surprises everyone with her announcement that she will be accompanying the Countess, Sir Juffer, Caelebon, and Tindoome back to Celene with Celonor's remains. She explains that she feels somewhat guilty for the girls death and honour dictates she must face the family.

It is also decided by the council that the six prisoners will be sent to Verbobonc for further interrogation and probably an extended stay in the dungeons. With the ongoing construction of the castle, as well as continuing local banditry (which has reduced but not eliminated since the moat house was investigated and cleared) none of the village militia or Burne's Badgers (ex-bandits who've sworn to follow Burne) are available, so the party is requested by the council to escort them. Brother Smyth (the smith) will install chains and shackles in a wagon, and several horses made available to pull it.

The following day, most of the party heads over the bridge to visit Nira Melubb, jeweller and money changer, to begin the process of converting goods into cash prior to the elves leaving later in the day. A guard in chain mail stands by the door, wearing a sword and cradling a light crossbow in his arms, with a quarrel ready. Two large dogs sniff in your direction as you enter. An hour later and some of the bulkier valuables have been traded for a collection of coins, gems, jewellery and gold ingots.

The party then proceeds to the trading post run by Gremag and Rannos Davl, but on arrival are surprised to see both men being escorted under guard to the tower by eight of Burne's Badgers!
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:05, Sun 09 Aug 2015.

"This is all a misunderstanding!" Gremag protests, ineffectually trying to tug his arm free from his escort.
"Whoever it was, they're lying!"

"We've been set up!"

"So, ah, I'll just keep watch on the shop while you're gone then?" called a leather clad man from the doorway of the trading post, a longsword hanging by his side.

"Well that stops us from any purchases." Ronalt muttered. "We will have to seek supplies elsewhere."

[Private to GM: OOC: Ronalt would like to consult Burne the magic-user about his sword and its abilities. Ronalt explains his concerns about how it has some desire to be in his hand around creatures whom regenerate. How it managed to switch places with another enchanted sword at least twice before he lost the second blade.]

"Oh no, I can help you!" said the man, apparently fearful of what would happen if he lost a sale while his boss was gone.
"I hope they left the key to the cash box..."

A travel worn man with bulging pack accosts the Badgers briefly on the far side of the bridge before being sent on his way by the lieutenant.
With what could be described as a hungry look in his eye, his attention now seems to sit upon the party....
[Private to Maximilian Berbatov: You can post here if you wish to make contact, or they take the bait and approach you.]

"I will go and ask what has lead to their arrests," Yew volunteers.

He heads off to ask the local authorities about the charges. He does not assume the two are innocent but just wants to find out what has happened and any implications for the party.

After being brushed off by the guards, Max meanders over the trading post and the group gathered there.

He is slight of build, with a wispy mustache and a crooked smile. His clothes are a bit dusty, but the longsword and dagger on his belt seem well cared for. A backpack that seems to be about to burst at its seams completes the ensemble.

 "Any of you know what that was about? Guards didn't seem to be too keen on sharing any information, threatened to add me to the roll of prisoners just for asking a simple question. Hope not everyone in this town is so damn surly."

"Nope, no' a clue," Arek shrugged his response to the traveller.
"Ahm Arek Blackiron. T'is Amathaon Chalkbreaker, Bro'er Yew tha's a monk, Luthien's tha' one in tha plate wanna be a knigh', an' tha's Ronalt de Gault, ah ranger from dow' sou' ah ways."
"T'ere's more o' us scatter'd 'bout tha village too."

Max folds an arm across his waist and gives a mock bow, "Maximilian Berbatov, theurgist and general reconnoiterer at your service."

He looks over the assembled group, impressed. "I just got into town, was down in Celene for a spell, but was looking for a change of scenery. Elves, you know how they can be....Anyway, do fine folks such as yourselves stay at the Welcome Wench?  I could use a place with secure storage, getting tired of lugging around my home on my back like a turtle."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:55, Tue 11 Aug 2015.

Brother Yew is curious about the answer to that question too, as he had arrived after Ronalt's group previously left Hommlet. He turned to Ronalt and Arek to see what the answer would be.

"Yea', tha inn's tha only place in tow' ta stay, 'nless er fancy un'er a tree."

Ronalt shrugged, "There was some suggestion the folk taken by the guards had leanings to the local moat house and temple. I am sure the matter will be settled soon."

Max turns his attention to the man-at-arms in the doorway. "Were you there when those two got arrested? What did the guards say when they took them? The overly brusque manner of the guards had rubbed Max the wrong way.

Shopkeepers can be fined for using inaccurate scales or the like, but rarely were they dragged out of the store by eight heavily armed guards, at least as far as Max had seen. Something didn't seem right.

"I believe this man was the only person here at the time," Brother Yew responded, indicating the man-at-arms now manning the store.

"Can you tell us what was said when they were arrested?" Yew asked him.

"I was outside when they came and only heard something about trying to have a group of people killed in Nulb."

Brother Yew looks at the guard for a moment then turns to his companions.

"In that case there is nothing for us here, unless you simply wish to purchase goods here. The council here are good folk, fair and just, so I expect their judgement will be reflect their wisdom."

"Purchase what? My share is next to nothing after giving everything away to those ungrateful elves!"

Brother Yew keeps a straight face, as always, as he hears Rolf's outburst.

"Perhaps, Master Rolf, you could consult a lawyer on behalf of all of us? Perhaps to prepare copies of a contractual document setting out the financial terms upon which we will agree to rescue people in future? Something that you could require them to sign before we agree to rescue them, and the compensation they should be entitled to if they assist in effecting the rescue of themselves and others?"

Coming from the young monk it sounds like an awfully sincere suggestion.

Ronalt nods, following Yew lead, "Sounds reasonable option to pursue brother Yew."
"Rescuing ungrateful folk is just unacceptable."
"and Rolf, I certainly understand how only 63 gold pieces is not much when shared with so many."

Turning away, so to speak with the guard (merchant), "I need a sturdy back pack, bedroll, 4 quivers of 20 arrows, 5 flasks of oil, flint & steel, 2 candles, 5 days iron rations, a winter blanket, an oilskin canvas."

"Umm, yeah, sure. I think we've got all that..."
The man led Ronalt inside and started searching around the shelves.
"Here you are."
Laid out on the counter was everything except the canvas.
"Sorry, can't find that last item. Maybe Jakko the leatherworker can help?"
"Anyway, that will be thirty four gold, eighteen silver and three coppers all up."

A little later in the morning the elves are seen leaving Hommlet on foot, Iviana leading her laden horse.
"I'm sorry to be leaving you like this, but I don't feel I have much choice. Perhaps I'll be back in a few months to rejoin you, so until then, good luck and stay safe."
She pulled the sword from her sheath.
"Somebody please give this back to Kalador when he's awake. It's the flaming blade he was using before he, um, died."
"Oh, one more thing," she called back as she was leaving.
"The town council wants to see you in about an hour. Something to do with Gwythe I think."

Ronalt inspects the items before stowing it all in the back pack, "I see the prices are still above standard. Almost a shame to help out against the banditry in the local area." He places 35 gp on the counter awaiting the change.
'there goes half me coin.'

"You want cheaper, get it from the city where they don't have shipping costs to cover," he responded, parroting the words he'd heard his employers use countless times before.

Ronalt shook his head, "merchants all claim the same."
Pack over his shoulder he head back out the door.

"Right then, guess I'll be seeing ya' , not sure what that's about..." When it comes to killings or arrests, Max knew it was usually best to stay out of the way.

Maximilian watches the redhead elf leave (Iviana), then asks, "Who's Gwythe?" He doubted she was talking to him, but none of the others seemed to be paying attention.

"One of our companions." Ronalt replies, "I will make sure Kalador gets the blade, Iviana."
"As you are headed for Celene. Could you deliver this letter for me. Should you get an audience with Muriel, please retell what you have seen in my company."
[Private to GM: Letter for Muriel Longleaf based on the outskirt of Celene]
"Unless folk are doing some purchasing to do, we have a council audience to attend. best we wander there now."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:30, Sun 30 Aug 2015.

Yew nodded and turned to leave with Ronalt.

"Perhaps we shall at last learn a little more about the things Master Gwythe has said so little about."

This message was deleted by the player at 01:50, Mon 31 Aug 2015.

Amathaon said, "Yes Brother Yew, that would be good to know."

Kalador was grateful to Arek for raising him back from the dead. Being dead, was so...boring.

The now much smaller party arrived at the council hall a good half hour or more early. Settling in they waited while the councillors assembled and their meeting got under way.
It wasn't long until Amathaon, Arek, Brother Yew, Rolf, Luthien, Sven and Wonnilon were called in.

"Thank you for joining us. Some of you may already know that we are sending the prisoners you captured to Verbobonc for further interrogation and probable imprisonment. We simply don't have the facilities to hold so many here for more than a few days."
"Unfortunately for us, we cannot spare the men from either the militia or the Badgers to escort them, so you will have to do it for us. To that end, Brother Smythe, the blacksmith, has been fitting shackles to a wagon and a pair of horses have been loaned to the council from two of our farming citizens to pull it."
"We realise we cannot order you to do this, but we understand you will be heading that way anyway, and represent perhaps the best warriors in the area. As far as a reward for this service goes, we can offer little coin, but can provide letters of introduction for you should you wish to seek the services of the many sages, schools and temples in the city."
He paused for a moment, a troubled look coming across his face.
"In addition to those you captured in the temple, we are sending the two merchants Rannos Davl and Gremag. It has come to our attention through your companions Iviana and Gwythe that the latter was approached by them on several occasions to arrange," he hesitated briefly, struggling to find the right words, "umm, situations which would lead to your deaths. The incident at the Waterside Hostel in Nulb was just one of these situations, and it would appear that if Gwythe hadn't acted as he had, in all likelihood most of you there would have died that very night, your throats slit in your sleep."

Terjon, the chief cleric of St Cuthbert spoke next.
"Now I'm sure you have many questions, and we will answer them to the best of our ability."

"Wha's ta 'appen ta tha' boy, Gwythe? 'e's been b'avin' 'imsel' e'en if 'e 'an't told us everythin' 'e knew."

"Well, as you know he was on probation and under your care for his previous crimes. Although he hasn't actually done anything that would invalidate his freedom, the council feels it is best if we keep him here in the village under our direct supervision."
"Therefore I'm afraid to say his adventures with you have come to an end, for now at least."

"Your letter is more then enough. It is my hopes that when I return to you I will be fully Knighted."

Happy to be of service, really.

Ronalt strolled in with his companions and listened, "I see no trouble for us in escorting the prisoners to Verbobonc."
"The letters of introduction would be appreciated."
"Do you have any mail which needs delivery to the city?"

Brother Yew nodded agreement with Ronalt's reply then added a few questions of his own.

"I too was approached by a man in the dark who tried to recruit me before I spoke to the Council previously, as I told you at the time. I did not see him well, just a glimpse as he departed, barely enough to determine he was of human size, had a habit of spitting and moved with unusual agility. Would that be either of the two men you have arrested or someone else? Have there been any other incidents in this area in the last few days that we should be aware of?"

"Yes, I recall you told us about them last time we saw you. It's possible it's the same as either Rannos or Gremag, but we just don't know."
"And no, there's been no incidents of note recently that we know about."

"That we know about," Rael reiterated.
"That's a good idea Ronalt. I'll send one of my boys around the village to see if anyone has any messages they'd like sent. When will you be departing?"

"As soon as the prisoners are shackled and ready for transport and the letters are done we can leave." Ronalt replied.

Brother Yew bowed to about 45 degrees in acknowledgement of Rufus's response then nodded in agreement with Ronalt's reply. Words were not necessary. [Private to GM: Yew heard Gremag and Rannos Davl's voices protesting their innocence when they were arrested (and their guard's voice too at the shop). Do any of them sound like the voice of the person who delivered the message to him in the darkness before he met the Council the first time?]

The meeting soon winds up, a boy dispatched to pass the message around regarding mail.
Two hours later and a small bundle of documents is handed to Ronalt, individual letters of introduction given to each member of the party, and all prisoners securely chained to the wagon.
"Time to head off I think," Burne observes. "Should take you about three and a half days to reach Verbobonc."
"Remember, don't let any of the prisoners escape and don't believe a word they say."
And with that, the party was off....

OOC: Last chance for any parting words/questions. Get your characters levelled up if you haven't already, update character sheets and descriptions. Prices of non-magical equipment as per the books in the city.
Is ANYONE interested in henchmen/hirelings? Ben is available and if nobody else takes him Arek will. Many more potential meat shields sidekicks available in Verbobonc.

A full month after leaving (for most anyway) and the familiar, almost homelike sight of Hommlet comes back into view. Almost four days on the road has left most tired and somewhat saddle sore after soft living in Verbobonc. Passing by the temple to St Cuthbert, the trading post (which has a sign on the door "under new management"), money changers, cabinet maker, tailor, and town hall (as well as several farm houses), the party arrives outside the Inn of the Welcome Wench, the square wooden sign shows a buxom and smiling girl holding a flagon of beer.
The inn is a place renowned for its good food and excellent drink. Passing merchants make a point of stopping, as do many other sorts of wayfarers, and it is said that the place is always filled with patrons.
A young boy dashes into the stable, returning a moment later with the groom to take your horses...

"Aw'igh'. E'ryone gi' yerselves settl'd an' we'll 'ead o'er ta see Rael an' fin' ou' wha's been 'appenin'."

A familiar, albeit much healthier face appeared from the doorway of the inn.
"Arek, sir! You're back!"
"Thought I heard your voice out here!"
The last time anyone had seen Ben he'd been bedridden, recovering from the terrible injuries the temple's torturer has inflicted upon him.
"Heading back in again? Teach those heathens another lesson?"

"This is a reputable establishment? The name does nothing to suggest so...but it will have to do, one supposes."

Corvus waits for one of his new companions to lead the way, but he will share a room with none of them.

"I will join you at the inn later. Just going up to the tower to report the prisoners had been handed in and check on recent news." Ronalt heads to the tower.
[Private to GM: Ronalt seeks out mage Burne. "The sage did aid me a little and explained some of the blades history."
Ronalt shares what he has learned, in case the blade is given to another should Ronalt fall.]

Brother Yew stays with Corvus to enter the inn.

"Yes indeed, Master Corvus, the sign suggests only happiness and a decent beverage. I am led to understand that on the less salubrious sort of establishment the sign would feature less clothing. I have no experience of that sort of place, of course, but have indeed enjoyed a decent meal before at the Welcome Wench. Come inside and we shall see if anyone we know is here."

Yew opened the door and led the way inside.

follow the rest of the group inside the Inn..."not sure what they have in mind for happiness but I could certainly use a decent beverage, makes what I do that much more convincing" he laughs quietly to himself not really talking to any in particular as they looked to settle in.

Amathaon stepped inside. He looked forward to some good ale. After what he'd been through, he felt he needed it.

"Greetings, Master Chalkbreaker," Yew hailed the dwarf. "We are just returned from Verbobonc with a couple of new friends. Allow me to introduce them. Master Corvus, the elf, is a mage and Master Rondo, the gnome, is an illusionist, I believe. We have not yet had any opportunity to see each other in action but they have both agreed to join our mission against the evil temple. Have you any news for us?"

"Yer do realise 'e's been travellin' with us fer the last four days right?"

"Politeness costs nothing, Rolf...you should try it some time," says Corvus, being impolite. "The good brother is a good communicator, and you should all be grateful for that."

"Anyway," interjected Wonnilon before the conversation got too out of hand, "Lets organise lodgings, freshen ourselves up and head over to see the head man."
"After you, Luthien."

Brother Yew raised an eyebrow slightly at Rolf's remark.

"Truly, Master Rolf? I do not recall seeing or hearing Master Chalkbreaker at all since we left Hommlet a month ago. Now that I think on it, that represents a truly remarkable display of stealth. I commend you on such skill, Master Chalkbreaker."

He bows deeply to Amathaon.

Sir Luthien was already proceeding towards the inn. Best to lead by example, he thought.

Then he had to find the owner of the inn...

"Luthien! My boy!" the inkeeper greeted him warmly.
"I heard you were back. Off to teach those scoundrels another lesson are you?"

Amathaon returned the bow. He replied, "Greetings to my new comrades."

"We will most certainly be doing exactly that."

Among other things.

"So you'll be looking for rooms and stabling then?"
"How many and for how long?"

Once everything was sorted out, and Ronalt returned from the tower, the group headed over to see Rael, the head man on the village council. Most of the council were there as well, word of your return having spread through the village like wildfire.

"We're very glad you're back," he said with evident relief.
"While you were gone the situation has deteriorated significantly with several raid against Hommlet by orcs, goblins, bugbears and even a few ogres.The militia and Burnes Badgers managed to beat them off, but not without casualties. Some of the outlying farms have had to be abandoned too and have been razed to the ground."

"Also I sent a patrol, six strong, over to the old moat house last week. Only one returned. It seems reinforcements have moved in and repairs have commenced."
"With it only about three miles away, that's of significant concern to us here, especially since we don't have anywhere near the numbers to clear it out again without stripping the village of all it's defenders."

Sir Luthien considered.

"We'll get room and board for man and beast for all of these, for at least a week."

On the next topic.

"We'll have to reclear it. Then the moathouse needs to be permanently occupied by defenders. It's not good enough to just leave it empty, as you've just personally witnessed. Who can you spare for guard duty?"

"Nobody after that catastrophe a few months ago. We've barely enough to watch over the village."

link to a message in this game the battle
link to a message in this game the aftermath

"In that case the moathouse should be recaptured then destroyed so it cannot be reoccupied by the enemy," Brother Yew suggested. "We could probably recapture it but how would we knock down solid masonry walls and collapse the tunnels below it? Or is there another way to make it uninhabitable or to seal it up somehow?"

He thought for a moment before continuing.

"Unfortunately, as much of a menace as it might seem, the moathouse is also a distraction from the main task of defeating the greater evil in the temple itself. That may be their real purpose in reoccupying it."

"Perhaps so, but many of the raids appear to be coming from that direction so..."
He trailed off, the implications that something had to be done clear.

"Brother Yew may well be right. You don't kill a wolf by cutting off it's tail, you go for it's head."

Sir Luthien shook his head.

"It is true that one cannot kill the wolf by cutting off the tail. In this case, however, the tail is causing lives to end, and those lives must be preserved, however distracting it is. It is cold comfort to tell a wife and 3 kids that her husband has been avenged when his death could've been prevented to begin with."

"We know the layout of the moathouse. Let us test our new recruits there before venturing back to the temple." Ronalt added his thoughts, "We may even be lucky to find some of the missing patrol still alive."

Brother Yew bowed gently toward Ronalt.

"So be it, Master Ronalt. If there is a chance to rescue them that is indeed another good reason to attend to the moathouse. I am at your service, of course."

"Then to this moathouse we must go, as soon as you all decide when."

Corvus does not doubt his own ability, and welcomes the opportunity to prove it.

"Some paper and ink and I will do a rough drawing of the external moathouse layout so you can see what we face." Ronalt offered.
"We had to assault the place twice before gaining control of the upper section. The underground area felt like a maze and it also took some time to subdue."

"So when do we leave?" Ben asked enthusiastically from near the back.

"In the morning will be early enough. Our learned spellcasters will need a good nights rest." Ronalt replied simply.

With apparently little more to discuss, the meeting came to and end and the party retired to the Welcome Wench to rest up and plan the following day's activities.

Yew was keen to discuss tactics before they all headed off to bed.

"I have not been to the moathouse, Master Ronalt, but your sketches indicate a hidden entrance via a tunnel 300 yards away from the moathouse. Would that be the best way for us to try to enter, rather than try to fight our way through the defenders at the walls?" he asked.

"it will likely be trapped. But certainly it would be my choice." Ronalt replied.

"It is bound to be guarded too. I think you said there were bugbears guarding that hidden entrance before, so we should expect guards of some sort again this time too."

"yes and a warning system for the rest of the moathouse." Ronalt added.
"We will need to be most quiet in the beginning of the assault."

"So sen' tha sneaks in whi' tha res' o' us wait fer 'em, ta check i' ou'?"
"Tha'd be Amathaon, Kalador, Yew an' Wonnilon ri'?"
"Wha' 'ave you got ta offer there Corvus?"

Amathaon looked at Kalador and said jokingly, "Notice how we get stuck with checking things out all the time."

Kalador replied, "Yes, always get stuck with the dirty jobs."

"Corvus? Yer wi' us or off in yer own worl'?"
"You too Luthien. Wha' yer go' ta add?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand Dwarvish, assuming that was what that garbled nonsense coming out of your mouth actually was.

As to my value here: you lead, I will follow, and I can back you up with sword or spell. Not too difficult to understand, is it?"

Corvus returns to examining his nails, fearful he might actually have snagged one.

"Master Corvus, I believe Father Arek seeks to understand what particular spells you might plan to prepare for tomorrow, so that we can plan our strategy accordingly. If you had some spell at your command that would allow one of us to approach unseen, for example, that might influence the strategy we decide upon." Brother Yew sought to clarify the dwarf's request.

Sir Luthien had indeed been quiet...

"We require more information before planning the main assault, and the scouting team can get it for us. We do not know how many the enemy is, or where they are located within the enemy stronghold. All of that must be known before the assault begins."

"Perhaps magic can provide that information for us instead, if  one of our spellcasters has that ability. Or should we aim to capture and question one of the guards to gain that information instead?"

In reply to Brother Yew (msg # 89):

Arek grunted something unintelligible which could be taken as agreement.

In reply to Sir Luthien (msg # 90):

"Yes. Ah kin as' The Father of Battle, Clanggedin Silverbeard fer a bi' o' 'elp there."
"Might b' able ta [Language unknown: ave, di wheli o] tha earth when we're there, or ask some o' tha dead there what's goin' on. Do a li'lle divination or e'en ask tha plants."
"Have ta be close though."

"Ah! Well why didn't he say so?" replies Corvus to Brother Yew. The elf smiles and then provides his new companions with relevant information.

"I can ward against evil creatures or beings, read magic, send foes to sleep, break objects, and provide a smokescreen as a defensive measure. Does that help your plans?"

With a smile on his face, to let Corvus know he was kidding, he said, "Is that all you can do lad."

"Thank you, Master Corvus. That will help us to plan ahead. If circumstances are right there might be an opportunity for you to arrange for the guards to fall asleep at their posts, but we will need to rely upon the stealth of our scouts to investigate first."

Has listened intently to the conversation, still feeling like much of an outsider to this new group he is traveling with.  When Brother Yew speaks up about possibly using magic to obtain the information needed.

"Seems to me you would be needing a scryer of some type, unfortunately I am ill-equiped with my spells to help in that regard.  I might be able to provide a simple illusion to surprise or otherwise hinder any enemies however"

"All right then. It would seem we have a plan. Head out with the aim to arrive at first light, sit and observe for a while, then enter by the way judged safest."
"I'm off to bed. See you in a few hours."

"Well, lets have everyone get a good night's sleep for tomorrow will be a most busy day. Squashing evil will require all our skills to be alert and primed." Ronalt added.

Wonnilon woke everyone several hours before dawn, and acted as scout once the party was ready to move out. First light was just breaking as the party neared the moat house.

A scrub of thorns, thistles, weeds, and shrubs grows thickly along the edge of the track which leads to the ruins. Even the track is mostly overgrown and cluttered with fallen branches and trees. Here and there it is washed out, in other places a mire.

Some game evidently still follows the pathway, however, for after a mile or so faint traces can be seen. But even considering this, going is slow, and it takes two hours to trudge along on foot. After two miles, as the track turns more northerly, the land begins to sink and become boggy. Tall marsh plants grow thickly where cattails and tamaracks do not. Off to the left can be seen the jagged silhouette of the moathouse.

A side path, banked high to cross over the wetland to either side, just north to the entrance of the ruin. The track here is only about 15 feet wide or so, with crumbling embankments making travel near the edge dangerous. The bogs stink. The vegetation appears dense and prolific, but somehow sickly and unhealthy, creepers and vines throwing their strangling loops over the skeletons of dead saplings and living bushes alike. The rushes and cattails rustle and bend even to a slight zephyr, and weird birdcalls, croakings, and other unwholesome sounds come faintly across the fen.

Settling in the scouts observed while the less stealthy stayed well back. The observers soon grew bored though as nothing appeared to move in or around the moathouse - even the surrounding swamp seemed unusually still and quiet...

Yew wormed his way back to report to Ronalt and the others.

"It looks deserted," he whispered. "Can you show us where the hidden tunnel entrance is? We should check that out too. It is probably still the best way to enter the place."

Ronalt gave a brief nod and lead the group to the secret entrance.
"It is very quiet for a swamp. Best be wary of trouble my companions."
Ronalt hand rested upon the pommel of his blade, ready for trouble.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:15, Fri 04 Dec 2015.

"So, ah, what do you want me to to do?" Ben asked.
Late the day before Arek had kitted him out with studded leather armour, a large shield, light crossbow and a short spear. He was no legendary hero, but he knew which end of his weapon to poke at the enemy.

"Guard the spellcasters flank for now." Ronalt suggested with a rare smile, "they are soft and squishy."

"Really?" he queried with his typical lack of humour.
Arek was as far from "soft and squishy" as you could get.

Amathaon said, "Ronalt what do you want me to do? Just keep scouting ahead?"

"Ideally two scouts covering each other ahead of the main group." Ronalt replied, "Two sets of eyes are always better than one."
"We can rotate the scouts as needed."
"All the spellcasters will need protection even Arek. Though not as much as the mages."
looking to his companions, "we have the rough layout. For our new members it will be a warm up for the temple. Work well together and we will all survive."

Moves so that isn't under foot of his larger companions.  He worries little for his own safety but appreciates the attentiveness of his companions to ensure the spell casters of the group are safe.  He goes over in his head the spells he has prepared for the day, hopeful that he can be of use to this group of seasoned fighters.

"Point the way then Ronalt."
Of the eleven of them, only Ronalt, Arek and Kalador had ever laid eyes on the secret entrance.
This message was last updated by the player at 00:36, Tue 08 Dec 2015.

"Hey Luthien! Quick word?" Rolf requested before they broke cover.
[Private to Sir Luthien: "Aren't you s'posed to be some sort a knight or somethin'? Why you letting that woodsman call the shots?"]

"Yeah, t'is is really gonna work," Arek declared with no small trace of sarcasm when Ronalt teamed up up with an elf!

"best we can do with Sven having a rest today." Ronalt replied.
"Besides I wish to see if all the training made a difference to Luthien."
Today, Ronalt had a shield ready for use with his longsword.

Yew readied his crossbow and bowed gently to Amathaon, his partner in the front line. As soon as everyone was ready he moves forward as stealthily as he can toward the tunnel entrance. He looked about as he approached, searching for any sign of guards hidden nearby.

In reply to Rolf the Strong (msg # 109):

Sir Luthien smiles, "I am a Knight, yes. But it is the course of wisdom to listen to those who know, and I have not assaulted this place before. They have. I am content to let experience guide."

Humility is also one of the virtues of Knighthood, after all.

The scouts check around the area indicated to hold the secret entrance but find no guards. They do find fairly obvious signs of something large and strong scuffing up the area though.

Ronalt checks the trail sign in hopes of learning what the foe might be.
Once done he signals the scouts to enter.

The signs are easy to spot, even to an untrained eye. Making much sense of them is another matter though.
Whatever it was had claws large enough to wrap around small trees, and it was strong enough to snap them like swigs, even rip them whole from the earth. The ground is torn up, small boulders gouged from the dirt and hurled off into the bushes.
Worryingly there's tracks around the secret entrance, it's concealment torn away. The "thing" also appeared to have shoved it's way inside, at least part of the way, as the opening has been forced wider, and higher, to accommodate it's apparently huge body. There are no signs of hair or fur it may have shed as it squeezed through.
Ronalt is unsure, but it may have squeezed it's way out again.
All the signs appear to be several days old.

"Guys, I'm telling you, I got a bad feeling about this."

"What went in, looks to have come out again days ago." Ronalt reported to his companions, "maybe a large owlbear looking for a new lair."
"Sven will be so disappointed to miss out if it is."

"Scouts, let us not dally. Move in."

Yew checks his crossbow once more then quietly enters the tunnel. He pauses just long enough to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness, checks for any sign of life ahead, then moves cautiously forward down the tunnel.

Continues to follow the rest of his companions, fidgeting with his robes and going over his spells in his head.  He watches as Yew and the others enter the tunnel.  "And down the rabbit hole we go..." he says with a smirk.

The narrow, rough hewn stone passage heads west, gradually sloping upwards from it's riverbank cave entrance. Here and there the stone is cracked as if enormous force had pushed the walls apart.
[Private to Ronalt de Gault: Oddly, the claw marks inside the tunnel appear to be only half as big as those outside. No small claw tracks were to be found outside.]

OOC: Who's carrying light?

Amathaon looked about using his infravision. Holding his falchion, he was ready to defend himself. Kalador, walked nearby, both waiting for the next shoe to drop, for whatever made these walls bigger.

The party makes it all the way through the damaged escape tunnel without incident only to find the way blocked by a cave in. Even the most unskilled tracker could see the rock had been clawed at intentionally to cause the collapse.
Only a small crawlspace remains leading up to the rooms Lareth once called his own.
[Private to Amathaon Chalkbreaker; Arek Blackiron; Rondo Fiddlestick: The rockfall is extremely unstable. Digging through to the west would almost certain result in further collapse and probably get the party buried alive. The lucky ones though would be killed instantly. The crawlway north (to 33-35) looks relatively safe though.]

"Bring the others up to this point," Yew advises one of the other scouts. "We can check where this narrow opening leads to while you are on your way."

Brother Yew squeezes through the narrow crawlspace to start exploring what lies beyond.

Kalador nodded and headed back to the others.

Amathaon said, "Brother Yew, let's try this crawlway to the north. Thay hole in the collapse would be way to dangerous."

The party, less Yew, congregates near the cave in.

[Private to Brother Yew: Yew crawls for a dozen feet or so before tumbling out and down the unstable rubble  and onto the partly covered stairs. Picking himself up he cautiously stalks forward in the pitch blackness, his nose detecting a sour smell. Infravision appears to be near useless at the moment with no heat source available for even the slightest of illumination.]

By the time Kalador brings the rest of the group up to the cave in Yew has crawled back out of the narrow crawlspace around the northern edge of the rubble.

"I crawled about a dozen feet then slid down the other side of this pile of rubble into a smaller corridor to the north. It is so dark and not even enough differences in temperature to allow me to see anything with my infravision, although there is a sour smell in there. There are stairs leading up but I think it is just a side passage, not the main complex. The main corridor is completely blocked by the cave in," he reported. "I would not advise exploring this side passage without taking a light source. Frankly, I don't think it is worth wasting any more time on it at all. If something big and strong enough to cause this cave in has come this way I suspect it may have scared off anyone from the evil temple that was using this place before. The rest of the place may be deserted too. I suggest go back up to the moathouse and enter from up there instead."

"Lareth's room's wer' up tha' way," Arek commented conversationally, indicating with a casual wave the crawlspace Yew had emerged from.
[Private to Brother Yew: You know, the very man who's supposed to be your father....]

"Oh, I didn't know," Yew actually sounds surprised, which is unusual for him to show any emotion at all.

"Perhaps we should have a look there after all. That sour smell is a concern though. If there is anything up there, anything that lives in darkness and smells bad cannot be good news. Who else wants to come?"

Yew will wait for volunteers and a light source then will lead the way through the crawl space again.

"I'm in."

"Could be somethin' interesting still up there. I'll go to."

"S'pose yer b' wan'in' some ligh' in there, so I'd bett'r go too."
Several months after first picking it up, Arek still carried the old chair leg he'd prayed over all that time ago, and it still shone as bright as day with no sign of fading any time soon.

"Shall I ah, keep watch out here, or do you want me to follow along too?"

OOC: How many light sources have we got? There is no point Ben keeping watch if he doesn't have a light.

Amathaon looked at Kalador and said, "We'll go too if you want Brother."

"Are we all to go in, then? And leave this poor fellow on his lonesome?"

Corvus asks a general question while indicating Ben by the pointing of his thumb.

"No, I don't think that would be the best plan," Yew responds. "Kalador, would you mind staying here on watch with Ben? Your eyes will see more in the dark than his will."

If they don't have a light source between them Yew will give his two candles and tinderbox to Ben.

OOC: Have we passed any unlit torches in wall sconces along the tunnel or anything like that?

pulls his dagger from it's sheath where it emits a soft glow as well.  He looks at the others and prepares to head deeper not wanting to be left behind.

Listening to Yew and the others he pipes in "If necessary I can stay back to on watch however I would like to press on if we could."

Pleased Yew took the initiative, Ronalt looks down at the collapsed tunnel with some concern. "lets get this done. See if they have left anything new for us to trip over in Lareth's old chamber."

Brother Yew wastes no more time as he squeezes back through the crawlway to the northern corridor. As soon as he is there he draws his dagger to let its reddish light illuminate the first ten feet of the stairway leading up beyond the rubble. As others come through behind him he will start to move up the stairs to give them room and to start exploring the northern tunnel. When Arek comes through with his brightly glowing chair leg Yew will put his dagger away and ready his crossbow instead.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:50, Tue 15 Dec 2015.

Kalador nodded and stood by Ben. He will use his infravision for the time being. Should he hear anything unusual, he'll use the flame tongue.

In reply to Rondo Fiddlestick (msg # 139):

Arek spoke in a language he didn't usually use.
[Language unknown: "Ha allherthe oneon vorortmen esalnc cathel er ardsonrea hisera'illica iv arthtr thustrdin butwi all is m ee? Ripro fo Resintvor rossas ad der u winoul dayin rire."]

"You coming Luthien?" Wonnilon inquired moments before gleefully diving into the crawlway.

Those that crawl through the dozen or so feet find themselves tumbling out and down the unstable rubble on the other side, landing about halfway up the partly buried stairs. Moving up the passage the sour smell Yew reported fills the air.
The glowing chair leg reveals the first chamber contains three nests made of black cloth, river reeds, and bits of wood. Each nest is about 3 feet across. A stone just inside the southern entrance looks very much like half a gigantic rat, the other half smashed to bits around it.
[Private to Brother Yew: Roll 1D100 please]
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:19, Wed 16 Dec 2015.

Brother Yew looked at the broken rat statue, scratched his head, then started looking around the floor for any clues what had done it and where it had gone.
[Private to GM: Brother Yew rolled 28 using 1d100.  So ... why am I rolling a d100?]

Yew finds himself knee to beak with a pair of strange beasts with a bad attitude.

Roll initiative and state intended actions! link to a message in this game
[Private to Brother Yew: That was your, and by extension the party's, surprise roll - you're not obviously.]

Yew jumped back a pace or two, obviously startled. Looking more flustered than anyone has seen him before he points and shoots his light crossbow at first one of the beasts then the other. If his first shot was poor, his second is worse!

OOC: 5ft step back then shoot crossbow.
Brother Yew rolled 6 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Brother Yew rolled 5 using 1d20.  To hit with crossbow of speed (THAC0=14).
Brother Yew rolled 1 using 1d20.  Second shot at end of round (THAC0=14).

Rondo watches as Brother Yew jumps back, he begins a soft incantation with his left hand slipping into his robe retrieving a small bit of fleece while the other moves in an intricate patterns.  His voice softly chanting in his traditional gnomish dialect you can see his focus on the two bird like creatures in front of him.

OOC: [Private to GM the Third: Is casting Phantasmal Force - 3 Segments V/S/M - will create the illusion of spiked pit, yeah I know cheesy for using the spell straight from description but this is the first time I've run an AD&D character in years.]
20:41, Today: Rondo Fiddlestick rolled 4 using 1d10.  Initiative.

Arek backed up against the wall and held the light high above his head to allow the warriors as much room and illumination as possible.

If there is room Corvus moves up and looks to take on the horrid creatures with his blade. He has a fair inkling what they are, but chooses to keep his thoughts to himself, at least for now.

After squeezing through, Ronalt his shield up, his blade out ready to defend his companions and stab at the nearby threat when able.

Ronalt de Gault rolled 5 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 22 using 1d20+2.  Longsword. (whoo hoo a crit)
Ronalt de Gault rolled 6 using 1d8+4.  Longsword damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:35, Fri 18 Dec 2015.

Wonnilon drew his long sword from the sheath on his pack, and wielding it in two hands, rushed forward to do battle, arriving a bit too late to do any good and missing everything but air anyway.

Initiative 15 (ouch, slow)
To hit 9 - miss

Taking his position in the second rank, Rolf thrust his spear past Yew and into one of the creatures.

Initiative 9
To hit 17 (AC-2)
Damage 8

Amathaon drew his falchion. He will prepare to defend himself from these monsterous chickens.

22:41, Today: Amathaon Chalkbreaker rolled 10 using 1d10 ((10)).

NPC'd

The newly knighted paladin thrust himself forward into the fray, long sword slashing and poking.

Initiative 12
To hit 8 - miss

Yew's magical crossbow fires it's bolt off into the room, completely missing anything besides the far wall.
The creatures leap at Yews face, propelled by their batlike wings. Simultaneously Yew steps quickly backward, and the floor of the room drops away to a deep, spike filled pit.
One creature scores a hit on his exposed flesh with it's talons. [Private to Brother Yew: Take 1 point of damage and roll to save vs petrification.]
Corvus pushes up and thrusts his long sword into the closer of the beasts, inflicting a respectable injury.
Arek, seeing the combat had moved into the corridor, moved back towards the rockfall so as to keep out of the way.
Rolf stabs past Corvus and adds a nice puncture to Corvus' target.
Ronalt passes the withdrawing Arek and thrusts over the top of Wonnilon to add further injury to the beleaguered beast.
Wonnilon, seeing the area is becoming choked with combatants chooses this moment to withdraw out of the way and let Luthien step up. Sir Luthien however is unable to connect.

[Private to Rondo Fiddlestick: FYI casting time for the Illusionist verion is only 1, not the slow 3 of the magic user version]
[Private to Ronalt de Gault: Not going to formally introduce Merfyn to the party now you know their name and abilities?]
[Private to GM: HP 21 7, 22]

Edit: Rondo should probably be up and to the right a bit more than is shown on the map. [Private to Rondo Fiddlestick: line of sight and all that to the spell area]
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:50, Fri 25 Dec 2015.

Yew shudders momentarily after the beast scratched his face but quickly shook off whatever he was feeling. Still gripping his light crossbow in his left hand he whipped out his red-glowing dagger with his right and plunged it into the breast of one of the beasts attacking him.

OOC:
Brother Yew rolled  2 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Brother Yew rolled 20 using 1d20.  +? to hit with Heartseeker.
Brother Yew rolled 5 using 1d4+2.  +? damage with Heartseeker.
[private to GM: Brother Yew rolled 19 using 1d20.  Save vs petrification.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:36, Sat 19 Dec 2015.

After the successful strike, Ronalt continued to stab down over his companion, at the foe. Ronalt overbalanced with his second thrust, causing momentarily loss of control of his arm and blade.

Ronalt de Gault rolled 2 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 10 using 1d20+2.  R2 Longsword 1.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 12 using 1d8+4.  R2 Longsword 1 dam.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 3 using 1d20+2.  R2 Longsword 2. fumbly miss

23:14, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 11 using 1d8+4.  Damage.

23:13, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 12 using 1d20+2.  Attack!

Sir Luthien swings hard, but for all he's learned recently...he's still ultimately a newbie, and his hard swing isn't all that accurate.

"That trap wasn't there before!" Rolf declared in confusion as he stabbed once again with the spear, his attack going wide due to his bewilderment over the pit.

Initiative 12
To hit 6 (miss)

NPC'd

Corvus, seeing little other option for the moment, hacked again at the weird beast closest to him, hitting with a devastating blow.

Initiative 12
To hit 22 (AC -9)
Damage 11

Yew, momentarily immobilized, recovers in the next heartbeat, whipping Heartseeker from his belt and plunging it unerringly into the breast of the creature flapping about his face. It squawks in pain but continues its assault, but is unable to pass Yew's feverish defence. [Private to Brother Yew: The dagger almost seems to twist in your hand as it goes in, eager to strike home]

The other creature however, forced to the ground by it's previous injuries, pecks aggressively at Yew's foot, scoring a nasty wound. [Private to Brother Yew: Take 3 points and roll that save again.]
Ronalt then cuts it down, the follow through on his blow sending it's still twitching corpse into the pit. [Private to Rondo Fiddlestick: Adjusting the illusion to compensate?]

This clears the way for Corvus to step forward and attack the remaining creature. It's small body was thrown about by the force of the hit bit it remains flying.

Both Rolf and Sir Luthien miss after squeezing up and pushing Ronalt out.

New round.
[Private to GM: HP 21, 22 16]

Brother Yew stood poised, ready to strike again with the red-glowing dagger in his hand, his expressionless face betraying no emotion at all. [Private to DM: Brother Yew rolled 5 using 1d20.  Save vs petrification = Fail.  Merry Christmas to Yew.  :o( ]

Having finished his incantation appears to stand there concentrating on something, staring intently at the action taking place.

[Private to GM the Third: Yes, will continue to adjust compensating for changes to it until the combat is over or someone from the group breaks my concentration.]

Amathaon will move forward as best he can. He wondered what other creatures they'd face.

Finding it odd to be pushed to the side, Ronalt readied his blade to strike again once a gap appeared.

Ronalt de Gault rolled 8 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 6 using 1d20+2.  R3 Longsword 1.

21:31, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 10 using 1d20+2.  Attack!

Sir Luthien continues trying to attack, but despite being a newly minted knight, his knowledge of only the basics became painfully obvious.

Rolf dropped his shield, and squeezed around to Corvus' left side to find a precarious toe hold on the edge of the pit. One hand steadied him on the wall and the other thrust his spear.

Initiative: 12
To hit AC: -11
Damage: 6

NPC'd

Once again Corvus swung his sword, but the difficulty of in the confined area showed as he missed the target.

Initiative 11
Miss

Brother Yew stood still as stone, the creature briefly roosting on his greying head before launching itself up and over the heads (and weapons) of the front lines at Amathaon.
Wonnilon though was in position to intercept it. His long sword arced upwards in a two handed sweep to hack at the creature as it descended, but although his aim was good, he was unable to stop it scratching Amathaon's exposed skin. [Private to Amathaon Chalkbreaker:  Take 2 points of damage. I've rolled (and passed) a save vs petrification for you - failure would have meant game over for Amathaon. :(]
Sir Luthien spins and steps rearward, missing the creature while Rolf, no longer needing to drop his shield and cling to the wall, rams his spear into it.
Arek is also ready, having seen the creature tense before taking off, he dropped the glowing chair leg, hefted his warhammer and stepped forth to deliver a mighty swing!
...and a miss, very nearly striking Amathaon in the back of the head.
Fortunately though Amathaon is able to save himself, cutting the creature down and ending the immediate danger.

And that's both creatures dead/dying.
[Private to GM: HP 21, 22]

In reply to GM the Third (msg # 171):

Seeing the threat neutralized he stops his concentration on his illusion and the spiked pit disappears quickly from sight.

He looks to his companions hoping he didn't startle anyone.  "Wasn't wanting to waste that spell so soon but I wasn't sure what exactly we were dealing with those creatures."

Stepping forward he looks to Rolf who appeared to be standing closest where the pit was.  He looks down at the floor then back up to him and smiles.  "I wouldn't have let ya fall in" he says jokingly.

Amathaon checked his wound and saw he was lucky. He said, "Well those were some big evil chickens. How is Brother Yew?"

Using his blade to push the two dead chickens into the room. "Arek can you check brother Yew."
In the larger room where the pit trap had been moments before, Ronalt surveyed the room. Looking for differences to his last visit.

Arek nodded to Ronalt and moved over the the still immobile Yew.
"Hmm," he said, closely inspecting his grayish skin.
"Hmm," he said again, rapping a knuckle on stony flesh.
"No' good. No' good a' all."
"He's a statue. 'ard as stone an' jus' as brittle."
He tapped again and the dagger, "Heartseeker", fell from Yew's motionless grasp to the floor.
"Hmm, only tha flesh i' stone. Clothes, weapons, pack, all normal. Can't gi the bow from 'is oth'r 'and though wi'out breakin' fingers."

Amathaon said, "Sure is a shame we lost him. Anyway to bring him back?"

"Have ta do sum research bu' maybe, yes."

Frustrated they had lost a valued ally, "Lets search this place. See what other surprises they have left us to find."

Amathaon and Kalador began looking for any traps. If they fuind none, they'll start looking for anything of value.

"Hey! Where you going?" Ben called after Kalador.
"You leaving me here alone?"

Kalador looked back and said, "Wonderful, I don't get sny fun. They are going to check out a room." He walked back to Ben.

In reply to Rondo Fiddlestick (msg # 172):

Furious, Rolf turned on Rondo.
"That pit was your doin'!?"
"Yer got Yew killed with yer trickery! We couldn't get all our swords to bear because of you!!!"
Tossing down his spear and shield, it looked as if Rolf was about to tear the gnome apart with his bare hands in the next few seconds...

Sir Luthien pondered.

"His statue is safe enough there for now. When next we return to Verbobonc, we will drop the statue off at the temple. There it will remain till one of our priests can undo it."

In reply to Rolf the Strong (msg # 182):

Backs away from Rolf just realizing that his assumptions were right and Yew was now stone.  "The pit was meant to catch the lizard chickens before they could do what they did."  still trying to put distance between him and Rolf..."There was no time to discuss this in committee, i'm just sorry what little I could do wasn't enough to keep them out of reach before someone was turned to stone."

He shakes his head as he is visibly shaken by the aggression towards him...stepping to the back of the group considering his next move if things go any further south.

[Private to GM the Third: OOC: Rondo is reaching into his spell pouch to retrieve a pinch of split dried peas, if anyone makes a move to harm him he will cast wall of fog and high tail it back to town.  ]

Sir Luthien turned.

"Enough! Stand down, Rolf. We're already down a teammate. Being down more is of no use to defeating evil...or even creatures like these."

Ronalt watches Sir Luthien's performance in handling Rolf And Rondo.
"We be all learning how to work together, Rolf. We just learned a hard lesson, so let it be for now."
"Once the room is secure and searched, Rondo and Corvis can tell us what magics they can use so we don't get out flanked by an illusion."

Still obviously fuming, Rolf angrily kicked his shield against the wall before picking it and his spear back up.
"We're gonna talk more 'bout this later..." his eyes bored into Rondo like a ballista bolt.

Besides three new nests of rags and broken bits of furniture, and the lack of bodies the party had left during their last visit over a month ago, little has changed in the first chamber...

Moving to the second (with the round table)?

Wonnilon waited until the confrontation between Rolf and Rondo had been settled, at least for the moment. Then he quietly made his way forward to peer into the room where the cockatrices had attacked from. He strapped his small shield on his back, drew his glowing dagger in his left hald and short sword in his right hand, tapped the stone floor of the room with the point of his sword to make sure it really was solid again, then advanced cautiously across the room to inspect the next one. Then he stopped and beckoned for the others to come forward as well before he ventured out of sight into that room.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:31, Wed 06 Jan 2016.

Amathaon moved forward and began looking around for anything interesting. He will make sure there are no traps as he moved along.

As they start to search, Ronalt asks Amathaon, "have you the skills to drop the entrance so no one can enter this part of the moathouse cellars again without spending much time digging?"

Wonnilon looked back and shook his head in answer to Ronalt's question but didn't speak out loud. As soon as Amathaon caught up to him Wonnilon quietly moved into the second room and toward the left until he could see around the corner into the long room on the left. [Private to DM: Looking for any signs of movement or any other signs of something in there that might be a threat. Or anything interesting enough to warrant further investigation when they are satisfied there are no immediate threats down here.

22:32, Today: Wonnilon rolled 33 using 1d100.  Move silently (43% chance).

22:23, Today: Wonnilon rolled 35 using 1d100.  Surprise!]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:34, Thu 07 Jan 2016.

Somewhat annoyed by what had befallen poor Yew, but thankful not to have suffered the same fate, Corvus moved on with the rest. Although a question did cross his mind.

"If we are leaving the Good Brother here, shall we at least take his possessions? Best to use them for ourselves, than risk having them used against us."

Amathaon replied, "No, I'm afraid I  don't Ronalt."

Arek looked at Ronalt as if to say, "You're going to ask a fisherman about mining?"
Talk about racial profiling!

still quite shaken he slinks to the back of the group keeping his distance and quiet as he thinks about what he could have done differently.

checking his spell components and keeping a close eye on Rolf he begins to questions whether he should have came.  all he wanted to do was help and now one of his companions was an over-sized paperweight.  he decides not to beat himself up over it since they were caught by surprised and hadn't taken the proper precautions for dealing with such an encounter.

Ronalt shrugged to Arek, "just seeing how much depth of talent we have in structure destruction. I know you be most capable, Arek."
"I am thinking we need to totally destroy this place so it can't be used as a base again if the local villagers are to be kept safe."

[Private to GM: OOC: what gear is Yew carrying which can be recovered?]

Wonnilon retreated with a bit more haste and a bit less caution than he had shown when he entered the second room. As soon as he was back among friends in the first room he hissed a warning.

"Watch out! There's another cockatrice in the west room!"

He takes a position at the north wall of the first room, just east of the corner of the corridor leading north. He tries to hide behind the corner if the cockatrice follows him into this first room. If he has time he sheathes his glowing dagger and readies his shield (i.e. now armed with short sword and small shield).
[Private to DM:
20:12, Today: Wonnilon rolled 74 using 1d100.  Move silently (43% chance).
20:37, Today: Wonnilon rolled 94 using 1d100.  Hide in shadows (35% chance).
Not doing either very well, is he?  ;o) ]
This message was last edited by the player at 12:39, Fri 08 Jan 2016.

The cockatrice is hot on Wonnilons heels as he bolts back to the "safety" of the party.

Roll initiative and post intended actions. Neither side is surprised.

Another of the feathery buggers? Well that was just rude. Corvus immediately drew his blade and moved to confront it, and he made no mistake with his sword-thrust.


13:05, Today: Corvus rolled 2 using 1d10.  initiative.
13:05, Today: Corvus rolled 19 using 1d20+3.  attack roll, longsword.
13:05, Today: Corvus rolled 6 using 1d8+3.  dmg.

Wonnilon yelped and dived aside as Corvus thrust his sword past the gnome's ear. It took a moment for him to realise the cockatrice had been so close behind him and Corvus was attacking the monster, not trying to stab Wonnilon. The gnome tried to regather his thoughts as quickly as he could - no time to grab his shield now! - so he stabbed at the cockatrice with his short sword and dagger as fast as he could.

Wonnilon rolled 10 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Wonnilon rolled 12 using 1d20+1.  To hit with shortsword. (THAC0=18, so hits AC 6)
Wonnilon rolled 6 using 1d20-1.  To hit with magic dagger (2nd weapon). (Missed)
Wonnilon rolled 6 using 1d6+1.  Damage with short sword.
This message was last updated by the player at 02:24, Sat 09 Jan 2016.

11:45, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 6 using 1d10.  Init?
11:45, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Attack.

He tries, but the Knight is just too green to do any real good.

With the squark from the scout, Ronalt's blade was out and ready, shield low to protect his lower body. "They are darn fast for chickens."
His sword slash missing feathers.
Initiative 1
Longsword Attack 5

Amathaon said, "Well we're sure going to have a lot of chicken to eat for a while aren't we." He will wait for an opening to slice the chicken with his falchion.


22:46, Today: Amathaon Chalkbreaker rolled 2 using 1d10 ((2)).

The cockatrice flies at the back of Wonnilon's head, scoring a small scratch on his scalp before flying over and past the gnome. [Private to Wonnilon: Take 1 point and make that roll. It's got AC5 so won't matter to this round of combat if you pass or fail.  :(]
Ronalt, perhaps still not adapted to fighting a flying creature, takes a wild swipe but misses.
Corvus backed up Ronalt, but unlike the Ranger struck true. Although injured, it continued to fly.
Amathaon saw his chance, jumping up to slice at it with his falchion, but like Ronalt he's unable to connect.
Sir Luthien takes a stab and misses before Rolf, still fuming from his "discussion" with Rondo, thrusts upwards with his spear and forces the cockatrice to land nearby Arek.
The old cleric slams his hammer down upon it, further adding injury to the creature. Unfortunately the mulitple hits aren't enough to take it out of action and it remains a very real, if grounded, threat to life.

New round, new initiative, etc...
[private to GM: 23 6]

23:42, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 6 using 1d10.  Init?
23:42, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 5 using 1d8+4.  Damage.
23:42, Today: Sir Luthien rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Attack.

By the grace of his god, it's just possible Sir Luthien might hit the broadside of a barn. But even if he does, it's just glancing blow. While strong, it isn't going to be hitting any particularly vulnerable parts of the creature. Yet more rookie mistakes...

Frustration from not managing to swipe the flying chicken, Ronalt turned in pursuit. Determined to see an end of the threat. His Sword cleaving more feathers from the foul beast.

Ronalt de Gault rolled 6 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 17 using 1d20+2.  R2: Longsword att 1
Ronalt de Gault rolled 5 using 1d8+4.  R2: Longsword dam 1.
Ronalt de Gault rolled 6 using 1d20+2.  R2: Longsword att 2
This message was last edited by the player at 00:54, Tue 26 Jan 2016.

Wonnilon ducked too late, then swung and missed with both dagger and shortsword as the cockatrice struck him a glancing blow on the head and swept on past him. He shook his head once or twice to clear it then snarled and hurried after the scaly little bird.

If he gets there before the cockatrice is slain and if he can find somewhere to squeeze in to attack he will stab viciously with both weapons, determined to put an end to this menace.

If the cockatrice is slain before he gets there he will grin in satisfaction and head back toward the western room to check that room properly.

Wonnilon rolled 18 using 1d20.  Save vs petrification. (Safe)
Wonnilon rolled 9 using 1d10.  Initiative.
Wonnilon rolled 14 using 1d20+1.  To hit with shortsword. (Hits AC4)
Wonnilon rolled 18 using 1d20-1.  To hit with magic dagger (2nd weapon). (Hits AC0)
Wonnilon rolled 2 using 1d6+1.  Damage with short sword.
Wonnilon rolled 5 using 1d4+2.  Damage with magic dagger.

These damned feathery buggers would not die easy, would they? Corvus slashed at the last, hoping to end this combat quickly. Unfortunately for the grey elf, rushing one's attacks was rarely good practice.


14:09, Today: Corvus rolled 4 using 1d10.  initiative.
14:09, Today: Corvus rolled 5 using 1d20+3.  attack roll, longsword.

Corvus begins to move.
Rolf thrusts quickly, his haste to avoid a further petrification evident as his attack misses.
Arek  acts almost as fast, his swing likewise missing.
Corvus arrives, sword point first, but like Rolf and Arek before him is unable to score a hit.
The Cockatrice, following on in the developing tradition of wild misses, also fails to strike Arek (much to the eternal relief of the latter).
That is it's last action though as Sir Luthien and Ronalt team up to cut it to pieces.

Grinning with satisfaction Wonnilion sheaths his weapons and returns to check out the rest of the rooms.

Wooden beds, smashed crates, and other furniture lie pushed against the northern wall of the centre chamber. A handaxe and the picked over remains of the figure who wielded it, still partially clad in rusted plate armour, lie in the middle of the floor. The remains of several other humans, and a few bugbears also lie where they fell several months ago. All the bodies show signs of advanced preditation, most likely by the trio of cockatrices.

The area to the south is likewise filled with debris, mostly from broken crates and casks. There is evidence of several horses having been stabled here - an old saddle and lance remains, and stale rushes and horse droppings litter the floor.

The room to the north east was obviously once lavish in its appointment. Now, its once-fine wall hangings, soft chairs, thick rugs, and plush couch are all in tatters. A wooden table, a single chair, and a bed make up the rest of the room’s furnishings. Dust-covered, bedclothes lie in a heap next to the bed. A body clothed in tattered dark robes lies on the floor near the table.

"Lareth?" Rolf asked, poking his spear at the dark robed body in the bedroom.
"Wasn't Yew lookin' for him?"

"Right lets check this place again. See if we missed anything the first time."
When done we pile everything in one spot and torch it." Ronalt ordered as he cleaned his blade and sheathed it.

"If Yew was looking for this Lareth fellow, it looks like they both met their end in the same place. That's ironic, that is," Wonnilon says.

He looks at the dead bodies speculatively then turns to Arek.

"Is there any way to tell if corpses are really dead or undead if they aren't moving and trying to kill you?" he asks. "Should we chop off their heads to be sure?"

He decides to check the body that Rolf called Lareth first and will search it thoroughly before helping search the rest of these rooms thoroughly.

Glad to be rid of the cockatrices Corvus moved to inspect the corpses of the fallen for useful items. He rather suspected none of them to be undead, given how they were lying still and had been pecked to pieces by the feathery ones, but he kept his dagger to hand just in case.

"Ah!" Wonnilon exclaims in surprise as he stands back up from inspecting the robed corpse. "We've been away training and so forth for the last month, so it must be two or three months since you guys sacked this place, right? Well this corpse is less than a month old and died of disease, not combat. It don't think it could be that Lareth fellow you were expecting to find here. In fact, I think somebody has staged the body to mislead whoever comes looking."
This message was last updated by the GM at 03:30, Thu 04 Feb 2016.

"Lareth is alive? that fellow is not going to like us returning here at all." Ronalt muttered, "He was smart, pretty and vain. Used his resources well."
"it also explains the changes."

"Anyone 'member killin' 'im?" Arek asked around of those who'd been there.
Ronalt, Rolf, and himself were the only ones currently present, but Felicia and Vestan were still available for a chat back in Hommlett - the former in the temple, the latter locked up in the cells under the tower.

"Wazzn't me. I'd 'ave enjoyed taking that one down."

"I remember standing around like a statue after killing bugbears. His spell snared me for ages." Ronalt growled in rememberance, "I am struggling to remember if we managed to kill him. Lots perished in a short time then."
Lareth was an elf. Is the corpse human or and elf?"

[Private to GM: OOC: I thought we had killed him for some reason. Do you have the link for out of Darkness thread?
Is the corpse an elf?]

"Everything ok in there?" Bens muffled voice was heard yelling from the other side of the rockfall.
"You've been gone for a long time?"

Within each cockatrice nest (3 of) is found a mostly intact black cloak with a gold eye of fire embroidered on the back, along with numerous scraps of others.
Also located are a total of twelve gems, fallen between two loose stones on the floor along the west wall. There is a small spider medallion on the skeleton, as well as what appears to be a wand. Arek identifies the spider symbol as one of Lolth, the demon goddess of drow and spiders.

Wonnilon heads back out across the cave-in in the tunnel to tell Ben and Kalador what has happened.

"Don't yell, Ben. You don't know what might hear you down here. We ran into three cockatrices in there. Brother Yew is dead; turned to stone by one of the nasty little critters. Just wait here a bit longer. I think Ronalt wants to pile up the furniture and corpses in there and burn it all. I'm not sure why, but don't be too worried if you start smelling smoke! I'll fetch Yew's gear."

With that he turns around and scrambles back across the rubble. He will return soon after with Yew's backpack, belt and beltpouch. He carefully placed Yew's magical dagger back in its scabbard on the belt, wrapping its handle in cloth first to avoid touching the weapon as he remembered previous discussions about the dagger hurting someone else who had picked it up before it ended up in the monk's hands.

Sir Luthien sighed again.

"We shall bring his statue to the temple later. They don't have anyone who can restore him there, but he should at least be placed where those who can help have ready access."

But for now, there was nothing more to say.

Back with Ben and Kalador Wonnilon rummaged through Yew's backpack briefly before pulling out a 2ft long crowbar.

"This'll do the trick," he commented then crawled back over the rubble again into the set of underground rooms.

When he got back to the statue of Yew he swiftly set to work with the crowbar to break off the fingers of Yew's left hand to release the magical crossbow from Yew's petrified grip. Once the weapon was free he picked up the broken stone fingers and placed them inside a pocket of the brown robe the petrified monk was still wearing. Without any further comment he crawled back out over the rubble in the tunnel to join Kalador and Ben once more. He returned the crowbar to Yew's backpack then stacked the backpack, belt, beltpouch, dagger and crossbow in a pile on the end of the rubble.

"Wouldn't want that lot to fall into our enemies' hands," he explained. "We can decide who should look after each of Yew's things when the rest of that bunch come out again."

"Do not break his hand. It is not worth maiming him in the future for a crossbow today."

Sir Luthien puts an end to that idea.

The deed is already done. When Sir Luthien objects Wonnilon replies, "Better that crossbow is in our hands than being shot at us! You can bet our enemies wouldn't hesitate to break it loose. If Yew ever gets un-stoned again I'll apologise in person for his busted hand and help get it healed. Until then, he won't be feeling any pain."

"We all don' 'ere?" Arek asked, keen to crawl back out and take out his grief on the new crop of bandits. It was their fault Yew was a statue. If they hadn't moved back in and recommenced their raids, Yew would still be flesh and blood.

Ronalt nods, "We are done here, Arek. Lets torch this rubbish as we leave."
Ronalt torches the piles of rubbish and heads for the exit.

By the time the last person was back out into daylight, the air was filled with acrid smoke and it was very difficult to breath. Coughing and spluttering the party cleared their lungs and gulped down water before discussing the next move.

"We will need to scout around the other side of the moathouse. There was a canal and boards across the moat to the ruined gatehouse entrance from memory. The courtyard is a carnal house, if the guards are alert."
"Archers behind cover and barricades."
"If this is what was done to the exit then the entrance to the moat house will have been changed too, no doubt." Ronalt gave a basic run down of what he remembered.

"Alright, I'll be part of the scouting party. Who else is coming?" Wonnilon asked.

"I will come," volunteers Corvus. "I cannot creep about in this banded armor, but I have my bow and spells that will cover us if danger is lying in wait."

The grey elf asks to try Yew's 'Heartseeker' dagger, as it may come in very useful - even now.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:07, Thu 11 Feb 2016.

"Just me, huh? Alright, everyone come with me until we can see the moathouse. Then you lot stay out of sight and watch the place. I will see if I can sneak in across that heap of rubble across the stream at the northeast corner of the moathouse. If all is clear I will wave for you to all come across the same way, otherwise I will come back and report ... I hope!"

Wonnilon leads the way back towards the moathouse, which is about 300 yards away to the northwest. The party's planned vantage point will probably be one of the small groves of trees overlooking the moathouse's eastern side, or wherever we can get to before being visible from the moathouse.

link to a message in this game

Corvus takes the dagger without a problem. [Private to Corvus: Feels like any other dagger really except it has a curved blade and appears to be quite rusty. It's already been seen to shed a reddish light.]

From the vantage point the small ruined fortress is little more than a stone manor and a walled courtyard with a tower, now collapsed. The upper story of the manor has fallen in entirely. It was apparently made mostly of wood, and only smashed and charred timbers remain. The condition of the manor’s interior is questionable. All is quiet other than the buzzing of mosquitoes (which are thick), since little life makes its presence known around the moathouse.

The main path leads to a rotten, slightly bowed drawbridge that crosses the water. Four new planks lie atop the rotted wood. On the other side of the drawbridge are two gates leading into the moathouse. One stands open, and the other lies on the ground, just as your previous visit.

Further scouting shows the wide courtyard is paved in cobblestones, although over the years grass and weeds have grown throughout the area. Rubble from the collapsed wall and destroyed upper story still litter the open space. A brown smear spreads across the middle of the courtyard, up the stairs, and into the open doorway at their top. A curved dagger lies near where the smear begins.

The collapsed section in the north east corner appears to have had some work done recently - large pieces of rubble have been shifted to effectively block that as an entry point (could be cleared given an hour or two and several very strong men, but not without making a lot of noise).

A quick inspection from a distance reveals the collapsed section at the northeast corner is blocked so Wonnilon is forced to enter the moathouse via the drawbridge after all. If the approach seems clear and he doesn't spot anyone hiding inside after he enters the gates he will step back out and wave the rest of the party forward.

"It's quiet. Too quiet."

Wonnilon is soon spotted waving...
This message was last updated by the GM at 12:31, Fri 12 Feb 2016.

"Perhaps, but standing here will do us little favor."

At Wonnilon's wave Corvus moves across to join him at the gates.

With his bow in hand and an arrow ready, Ronalt moved quickly to join Wonnilon.
He moved next to the wall so not to profile himself for any inside the ruined moathouse.

Sir Luthien isn't at all happy about how this went...but he doesn't seem to be able to enforce his will on the others when it comes to ethics, so he'll have to let it go for now.

When the others start to arrive at the drawbridge and gates, Wonnilon moves inside into the courtyard. He stays close to the left wall of the courtyard and swiftly works his way around to the steps at the northeast corner of the courtyard. He will pause at the foot of the steps to see if he can spot anyone up there or hear any sounds of any kind before climbing up the steps to peek in through the double doors at the top of the steps.

With the rest of the party waiting in cover at the gates, Wonnilon scampered around the courtyard to the doors, pausing to listen before looking through the smashed doors into the once great hall.
[Private to Wonnilon: The brown smear from the courtyard through the doors is gore, possibly human. Whoever, whatever it's from was not in a good way when dragged inside.
He hears the sound of the wind rushing back and forth, back and forth. It's almost like breathing, but what has lungs THAT big?
Then something inside shifts. Is it just the rubble settling, or a huge creature stirring?
Also, roll 1D20 :p
At this point he's yet to peek inside.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:42, Mon 15 Feb 2016.

Wonnilon paused at the foot of the steps, listening, then backed up a pace or two back behind the corner of the wall.

He turned towards the rest of the party back at the gates and began a bit of a mime act. He put one hand to his ear while pointing toward the double doors at the top of the steps. He made an exaggerated show of taking huge breaths in and out, in and out, then stretched his arms wide like a fisherman boasting about the size of the fish he caught.

[Private to DM: Wonnilon rolled 17 using 1d20.]

Ben shuffled his feet nervously.
[Secret to not Brother Yew; not Wonnilon: "Something's really not right about this."]

"What in the hells is he on about? Damn gnomes been eatin' those funny mushrooms again!"
[Private to Wonnilon: Damn, why couldn't you roll low... :p]

Ronalt harshly whispered to his companions, "Quiet down Ben and Rolf."
"Everyone find cover and spread out."
Ronalt bluntly signaled to Wonnilon to come back to the group.

In reply to Ronalt de Gault (msg # 247):

Takes Ronalts orders to heart keeping as quiet as possible as he finds decent cover to conceal himself in.

"I think he means something big is sleeping behind that blockade, perhaps guarding it," whispered Corvus. He made no move, waiting as he was for the gnome to return.

Wonnilon nodded in response to Ronalt's gesture. He cautiously made his way back around the edge of the courtyard again to return to the rest of the party at the gate.

When he got back he whispered his report.

"I could hear a sound like wind rushing back and forth, back and forth, like something really huge breathing. Then something inside shifted. I suppose it could just be the rubble settling but I thought it sounded like a huge creature stirring. With the damage we saw in the tunnel down below I can't help thinking some huge creature has crawled in there and decided to make this its new home. I would love to know what it is but I don't want to risk disturbing it. I don't suppose either of you mages has a familiar that could sneak in there and confirm there really is a huge creature in there, do you?"

[Private to GM: Is there any sign of any 'burrowing mammals' around here that Wonnilon could talk to?]

"Familiars are for hedge magicians, circus acts," remarked Corvus with noticeable disdain. "And I have no spells for detecting such things. Perhaps our gallant knight or one of the priests might be able to detect evil?"

Looks to Corvus trying to remain quiet as he speaks softly"No familiar here however I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.  If there are any kind of magical illusions present I could possibly dispel them.  Or if you wanted something a bit more subtle I could conjure a wall of fog which could provoke a response if something were indeed there."

In reply to Corvus (msg # 251):

Arek shook his head then looked pointedly at Sir Luthien.
[Private to Sir Luthien: Note the courtyard is about 60' across. You can detect as far as the door from the gate, but no further. To do so would mean exposing yourself and moving about halfway across the courtyard.
Alternatively you could go to where Wonnilon found the hole in the wall shored up (north east corner) and try detecting through the stone wall.]

"Ronalt, can you find any burrowing animals around here for me. I could speak to them and ask them to explore a bit for us." Wonnilon suggested.

Ronalt whom had been observing the inner part of the moathouse, turned to Wonnilon.
"The trail sign I saw while sneaking in this far was days old and it was leaving the moathouse area."
"It seems like everything that lived nearby has cleared out recently."
Pausing for a moment, "it is eerily quiet, no birds song. Only mosquitoes."

"Wonnilon the sound you heard was breathing?"

"He said it sounded like breathin. Coulda been bellows?"

Sir Luthien would, in the course of prudence, use a hole in the wall. With the principles of arrow slits, if there's something there. If that doesn't work, he'd try again from cover. Boldly going forth is option 3, if both of the other methods come up blank.

Noting Wonnilon's desire to talk with the local critters, speaking quietly to his companions, "Looks like we do it the old fashioned way with our eyes and ears."
"Cover Wonnilon and I as we cross the open area. We will listen and peek. Come if we signal. If arrows and such start flying, that wall of fog Rondo to cover our passage."
Ronalt looked to Wonnilon, "lets go before we loose more daylight."
when the gnome was ready Ronalt scarpered quietly across to the far side of the courtyard to the place, Wonnilon heard the breathing. 'please don't be a dragon' he thought to himself.

Wonnilon equipped himself with short sword and shield first.

"Ready your bows, those who have them, in case the creature charges out at us," he suggested.

Then he followed with more emphasis on stealth than speed.

Sir Luthien clanked and clattered his way around the outside of the moathouse and peered intently at the rubble from close range for about a minute.
When he rejoined the party at the gatehouse he appeared be be slightly pale...
[Private to Sir Luthien: Evil in the main area. LOTS of evil - either dozens of creatures spread around, or one REALLY BIG creature.
At least they haven't come out to greet you yet... :p]

Sir Luthien comes back to the ground, looking pale and grim.

"We've got heavy enemy forces...either one large target or lots of small ones, I can't tell. But the Darkness is strong here indeed."

"So how'd yer wanna play this Sir Luthien?" Arek asked stressing the Paladins newly acquired rank and responsibility.

Sir Luthien might be nobility now, but...

"I am not so arrogant as to think rank gives me experience. However, military strategy suggests someone who can needs to find out if we face a single large threat or lots of small ones, as I was unable to determine that. The strategies for a single big target and many small ones vary rather a lot."

"So who's walking in the door then?" Ben asked naively.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Sir Luthien shakes his head.

"Unless you are trained at stealth, nobody is volunteering you, Ben. We are not here to waste the lives of those untrained at a task."

NPC'd

"I'll do it."
Amathaon scampered forward before anyone could respond, skirting the left side of the courtyard before pausing briefly to catch his breath and listen before dashing up the steps and disappearing inside.

Two heartbeats later he reappeared, stumpy legs pumping as fast as they could and he headed in a direct line for the gate, panic stricken and screaming out as he ran.

"RUN!!!!!! DRAGON!!!!!!!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:58, Mon 22 Feb 2016.

Sir Luthien considers.

"Dragons require very specific planning, and we don't have time to come up with one now. Going against dragons unprepared isn't Valor, it's suicide. Fall back for now. We need further information and a VERY Good plan to kill it."

Seeing Amathaon sprinting back and screaming his warning, Ben didn't hesitate. By the time anyone looked, he was already halfway down the track heading back to Hommlett - He was ready and willing to face most foes, but a dragon was something else entirely!!!

Wonnilon knew good advice when he heard it. Especially when it was being shouted at him by a friend running straight at him as fast as their legs would carry them. He turned and ran after Ben. [Private to DM: But Wonnilon knows he doesn't stand a chance in this kind of foot race. He is looking out for a good hiding place along the way. Hopefully somewhere a bit off the side of the track where he can watch the dragon fly past without being seen himself.]

He just called one question over his shoulder to Amathaon as he ran.

"What colour is it?"

Ronalt retreated back to the edge of the moathouse. Waiting to see if the dragon was disturbed by the shouting.

Sir Luthien frowned. Running screaming wasn't going to help them get away. It just made the guy running and screaming most likely to get eaten.

"Take cover. Dragons have excellent hearing. Follow me." Sir Luthien decides the best place to take cover is in the same tunnel they left the statue in...

Follows closely behind Sir Luthien as he has no desire to be eaten by a dragon today.

Adventurers scatter in all directions. Some (Rondo, Sir Luthien, and Amathaon) heading for the tunnel, others (Ben, Wonnilon, Rolf) sprint down the track towards Hommlett, Wonnilon diving off into the bushes after a hundred yards or so, and the rest (Arek, Corvus, Kalador, Ronalt) take cover as best they can near the gate.

Ronalt bravely peers into the courtyard. [Private to Ronalt de Gault: In the shadows inside the building you see something very large and very dark moving about. Maybe a black dragon? Doesn't seem to be coming out, yet, but it's very much awake and aware of the PCs presence nearby.]

Amathaon and Rondo manage, just, to keep up with Luthien, burdened as he is by his heavy armour. [Private to Amathaon Chalkbreaker; Rondo Fiddlestick; Sir Luthien: "It's a black," he gasped as he ran.
"They breath acid don't they?"]

Wonnilon peers out from his hiding spot among the bushes. He puts his short sword away, slings his shield on his back and readies his shortbow instead.

"What'd yer got?" Arek whispered to Ronalt, pulling a scroll from his pack.
"Ah kin 'it 'em wi' a prayer an' then flame strike 'em."
He hoped it wasn't a red. If it was, his biggest weapon would be near useless.

"I have the rope which might keep the dragon on the ground for us to hack at. Depends on the dragon fear and if we can get at its flanks." Ronalt whispered.
"Shame we haven't something nasty we can toss down its throat as soon as it tried to give us a breath attack."
"Something sticky, viscid and nasty. Troll dung, lamp oil with some poison ivy leaves for instance."

Sir Luthien considers.

"A black dragon. They breathe acid. I don't imagine we're going to be able to hack it to death with a sword. I think...the best idea might be using the environment. I'd like to trigger an avalanche or something and let nature kill it."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:59, Sun 28 Feb 2016.

"One does not fight dragons at our level of 'expertise'", remarked Corvus, quietly and carefully to those within earshot. "One rather begs them for forgiveness or runs like the wind."

"But, we're only a few mil's from  'ommlett, and we're all tha is."
Well to be honest there were a handful of other adventuring types - Elmo, Felcia, Gwythe, Vestan, Burne, Rufus, and Sven - but all together they still didn't equal the power of the group currently onsite.
However Burne and Rufus had apparently slain a dragon before, although only a relatively young green.

NPC'd

"What's the plan then boss?"

Ronalt listened to the others, "I suppose it comes down to guile, luck and how big the dragon's ego is."
"The dragon hasn't had much time to set up here. It has busted up the rear access so no one could sneak in and steal its gold and stuff."
"I seem to remember there was some other entrances off the courtyard we might use to get at its lair. First however we need to contain it as best we can by making sure those doors can be opened easily." Ronalt pointed to the doors yonder.

"O'er ways 're all blocked."
They'd already seen that - the tunnel caved in, and the hole in the wall in the north east plugged with large pieces of rubble. The only way in or out without using magic was across the courtyard, up the stairs, and through the smashed double doors.
This message was last updated by the player at 02:27, Thu 03 Mar 2016.

NPC'd

Rondo, Sir Luthien, and Amathaon reached the "safety" of the tunnel after about a minute or so of running through the scrub.
[Private to Amathaon Chalkbreaker; Rondo Fiddlestick; Sir Luthien: "Dragon looked too big to fit through here," he panted, catching his breath and recovering his composure.
"What's our next move?"]

Sir Luthien considers.

[Private to Amathaon Chalkbreaker; Rondo Fiddlestick: "We must rig the entrance to this area to collapse, as it did on the other side. While collapsing it would trap us within, and perhaps even lead to our deaths, if we kill the dragon as well, we have made a worthy sacrifice."

How one collapses a tunnel, however, he's not quite sure.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:17, Thu 03 Mar 2016.