After three days of hard travel you reach the abandoned village of Tir's Folly.
It took considerable effort to find the exact location as every village you passed through only the oldest peasents had any memory of the place. Even then they were often vague and contridictory.

Old rumours had surfaced attributing vile horrors to Tir's Folly. Some said that all the inhabitants of the village had been slain one night by a wizard with some dibolical plan. Others that the place had been cursed and that any who entered would never see the day again.

As you approach the vilage the first thing you see is the tall slender tower that is at the center of the settlement. It is surrounded by a large pond,  a rowing boat is moored in the near corner. You cannot tell from where you are the condition of the boat.

A path to the left leads to what must have been the village proper. All the buildings have long since been destroyed. Roofs and walls lay in ruins. Crates can still be seen in the dirt streets.

To the right there is a graveyard. Lines of overgrown graves can be seen. From the size of the village ruins you guess that most of the inhabitants might have just moved residence. Two family tombs can also be seen at either end of the graveyard. They are made white stone and are well kept. The stone all but glitters in the sunlight.

Michaela scowled at the ruins - and not-so-ruins.

"I reckon those two family tombs are still in use, so they'll probably have fresh wards. Might want to be careful of 'em. Check the crates, though. I'll look at that boat, see if it'll get us to the tower." she spoke firmly, her tone brooking no argument as she started to head down into the village.

Cyrus points at the graveyard.  "See.  Graveyard.  I hate graveyards.  Stupid zombies and ghouls and skeletons and..." He trails off, grumbling, pausing only to watch Michaela shake that elven rear end of hers when she goes off to check on the boat.  He snickers and snorts as she gives orders, but since it coincides with what he was going to do anyway, the Taloesian heads in the direction of the crates, checking to see what may be inside...

     Kilgar looked around. "Kilgar hungry." He climbed down off his horse and looked around again, scanning the area. Clearly, it didn't sit right with him. Throughout the journey one thing was clear, Kilgar didn't get a whole lot, and he often took the simplest way out of things, but one thing he knew, was fighting. He was an able tactitian, and obviously a powerhouse.
      He had recently reaffirmed his faith to Tempus as well. Though he didn't talk about it unless it was pertinent to the conversation at the time, again, betraying an intellect uncommon to those who have orc in their blood, and by looking at Kilgar he might have been 3/4 orc. "Kilgar could really go for some gnome. They go great in stew with carrots and onions. Salt, pepper..." He paused to wipe drool from his fleshy lips and yellow teeth. He frowned and shook his hand off. Unsatisfied he wiped the drool off on the closest elf.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:13, Mon 04 Sept 2006.

Nerisella starts walking toward the crates when Cyrus began talking about gnome stew.  Once she gets to the crates she begins to look them over for any possible traps.


((OOC if none found I'll open if found disable them I will.))

[Private to DM Martin 22: 22:42, Today: Nerisella Tarmikos rolled 10 using 1d20+4. search. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:42, Tue 05 Sept 2006.

Gordon raises one eyebrow as Michaela orders the group about and then sets off alone. Crazy woman, my money is she'll be the first to fall, least certainly won't be me he thinks as a lazy smile comes to his face.

As Nerisella and Cyrus had already ventured off to inspect the crates Gordon stands with Kilgar uneasily. Should we go with Michaela in case something isn't as safe as it looks down by the pond? With that Gordon loosens his elven thinblade in it's scabbard and heads off after Michaela but a short distance behind scanniong the tower, pond and surroundings for danger or sign of life or un-life as it may be.

[Private to DM Martin 22:
10:27, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 8 using 1d20. listen.
10:27, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 19 using 1d20. spot. ]

     Kilgar looked around, he seemed disinterested in the crates, but began to idly rummage through them, looking for anything that might seem important. He wasn't real careful with the crates. Instead of gently prying them open he had taken to smashing them with his rather large, gloved fist.
     He looked down at where Michaela and Gordon had gone. "Kilgar hope that boat work. He not swimming. Ever." The half-orc seemed troubled by the lake and the spindly tower in the middle. "Dead stuff not a big deal. Water...Kilgar...hate...water."

Nerisella checks a crate for traps and finds nothing obvious. However upon opening the crate a green mouth forms in the air above her and loudly proclaims,

Foolish thief. You shall pay for stupidity.

From the loudness of the voice your all pretty sure that the entire area of the village could have heard the voice.

[Private to Michaela Lehava: As you walk closer to the water you hear the voice behind you. Seconds later you notice that one area of the lake starts to bubble. Steam is rising form the water.]

This could be a trap just to scare us away, but lets be careful.  Nerisella says drawing her shortsword.  She begins to walk toward the others slowly. Great I hate magic traps. Nerisella thinks to herself.

Michaela paused in her walk, coming to a full stop a moment later and reaching behind her, slipping her hands through the straps of her claw-bracers where they hung from her belt under her cloak and narrowing her eyes at the bubbling water. For it to be turning to steam in such a manner meant there was a lot of heat. From past experience, hot things weren't weak to fire.

As the voice is heard over the village Gordon grimaces and steps sideways towards the shad eof a building. Some distance behind Michaela he feels suddenly trapped in the open under the eyes of an enemy. His sword comes to hand easily and he scans the pond and the village for signs of immediate danger to himself and his companions.[Private to DM Martin 22:
HIDE CK = 22 (14+8) 09:24, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 14 using 1d20. listen.
09:24, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 6 using 1d20. spot.
09:24, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 13 using 1d20. hide ck. ]

Cyrus was just about to say something to Kilgar about all the noise and battering when Neri set the off trap herself.  As if to say "How can I argue my point now," Cyrus glares at the rogue with evil, evil, evil, even-Kilgar-can-recognize-the-warface evil eyes.  He clearly is not happy about the latest turn of events.  Then with a defeated sigh he shakes his head, glances around, yanks his spear out of the dirt, and starts walking down towards Michaela.   "Well, I guess it's time to go on a killing spree."

      Kilgar smiles, draws the heavy maul and hefts his shield. "Killing is good. Kilgar like killing." He positioned himself, just a little in front of Cyrus, and slightly to his left. Anyone with the sense to get behind him would be good, but everyone else was clearly on their own until the slow half-orc could get to where he could do something.

The Magic Mouth continues to repeat its message for several seconds and then aburtly stops.

You are all on an alert and looking out enemies and so notice the odd thing that is starting to happen to the pond. The right hand side of the pond (near the ruined houses) is starting to bubble. Steam rises form the water.

The left hand side of the pond is slowly being covered with ice. It extnds from the bank at the graveyard, envelopes the rowing boat and edges towards the center of the pond. There it stops, leaving in the middle an area of water swirling neither steam nor ice present, with hot water on one side, cold on the other.

Needless to say this is all very unusual.

Listen checks please.

Michaela stayed alert, hearing the others' voices and comments and filing them away as she scanned the area with eyes and ears.

[Private to DM Martin 22: 22:00, Today: Michaela Lehava rolled 19 using 1d20+7. Listen.
22:00, Today: Michaela Lehava rolled 10 using 1d20+1. Spot. For good measure.]

Since my eyes failed me on locating the trap.  Lets make sure they don't deceive me a second time.  Nerisella says to herself and closes her eyes, sword still at the ready.

17:00, Today: Nerisella Tarmikos rolled 24 using 1d20+5. Listen.

Hugging the shadows near Michaela Gordon scans his surroundings and peers out towards the pond.

[Private to DM Martin 22: 09:52, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 19 using 1d20. listen. ]

Cyrus tries to listen in on what's going on, but he can't hear worth beans at the moment because a big, slow, noisy orc is too close to him.  "Kilgar.  Stop moving so I can here or I'm going to stick a lightning bolt up your ass."

OOC - 6 on my listen check.

Keeping on your guard you move very slowly and carefully towards the oddly misfiring pond. As you move closer you can hear (Anyone who got over DC15) several shrill voices that seem to be emanating from the lake.

Oooh nice meat, fresh meat.

More funs for us to watch

Yeah yeah, gonna laugh when they try to leave hee hee

You can see no-one around the pond

Hearing the shrill voices made chills go up Nerisella's back. Having no real idea what beings might be attached to the voices Nerisella decides to find a protected hiding place directly behind Cyrus and Kilgar. These two seem to be strong I'll stay behind them until I get my chance.  This should also give me time to study the enemy.  Nerisella thinks as she darts behind them.

"Huh.  Yeah right.  If you want me, you're gonna hafta go through that orc first, to get me." Cyrus took a defensive crouch, shifting his spear to his other hand and withdrawing a flask of unholy water from one of his pouches.

Gordon stays in the shadows but from what the voices said he begins to become concerned looking back the way the group had travelled through town he attempts to spot what might keep them from leaving - while keeping one eye on Michaea and the pond.

[Private to DM Martin 22: 10:54, Today: Secret Roll: Gordon Rasiak rolled 4 using 1d20. spot. ]

"Nixies in the water, huh?" Michaela smirked to herself before fingering the necklace about her throat. A moment later, the smirk became a grin and she reached up to the necklace and broke something from it before flinging her arm out. A small, golden globe tumbled through the air before plunging into the lake... and exploding in a massive Fireball.

[Private to DM Martin 22: Using a 2d6 Fireball from the necklace on the lake to try and catch the voices.


15:21, Today: Michaela Lehava rolled 5 using 2d6. Necklace of Fireballs.
15:21, Today: Michaela Lehava rolled 16 using 1d20+7. Listen to pinpoint the voices.]