In reply to GM (msg # 16):

Ewwww gross. 

In reply to James (msg # 17):

"Let's take a look and see if we can find any clues."

Conrad opens the door and enters the room.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 18):

James searches in the safest way possible, he never is first into a room, never last out of one.

In reply to James (msg # 19):

Carefully, you enter and search the tower.

Fortunately, there isn't much door to open.  Though large, heavy and solid it has been torn from all but one hinge and falls to the ground with a crash when touched slightly.

It appears to have been battered in by something and there's blood all over the outside of it.

It appears that all the furniture was at one point piled up against the door, but that barrier was pushed in and toppled over.

There are some pegs on the far wall near the fire on which some heavy traveling cloaks adorned with the Templar cross are still hung.  The fireplace is cold but the ashes are fresh.  The floor is covered in Human debris, bowls, mugs, spoons, paper (they appear to be holy writings, nothing of interest), candles, etc.

All over there is blood.  From the streaked patterns leading toward the door, you surmise that the bodies were dragged out.

It is a bit of a climb through the back door to the rooftop.  Halfway up is a storeroom, but it's totally empty.

The air on the roof is blessedly untinged by the smell of death and fear that fills the rest of the tower, and you pause there to catch your breath from the climb.

From here you can see all the way to the Red Spring to the south, and to the jagged peaks further north on the island.  The trees are too dense to see the path you were on, but in the distance you can make out clearings here and there.  In one of them you can see a small flock of sheep.

In reply to GM (msg # 20):

James jumps as he touches the door and it crashes to the ground.

DAMNIT CONNIE!  THIS IS WHY WE CANT HAVE NICE THINGS!

He shuffles through the religious papers looking for some particularly rousing passages and commits them to memory.

When he gets to the top of the tower and sees the flock of sheep he mutters

Fucking Sheep.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:28, Fri 28 Mar 2014.

In reply to James (msg # 21):

"Hmm," Conrad says, frowning. "If there was a battle, where are the bodies? If they were used for... parts, let's say... where were they taken?"

He strains his eyes in search of further clues. Regardless of whether he finds more or not, he turns to Magni.

"Raise our flag above this tower. I (re)claim both it and this island in the name of the Empire, and there's no better spot to find our bearings than the high ground. Though we should re-secure the door."

Conrad glances at the sky to ascertain how much time remains before dark, the first embers of a plan burning in the back of his mind.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 22):

It is still midmorning, let's say 9am.

Magni gets to work erecting a flag.

In reply to GM (msg # 23):

Congratulations commadore fireface.  The island is yours.  Good job soldier lets go grab some shore leave somewhere more fun.  I have heard there is a port in Vintus that has singers... and wine that will make your head spin.

In reply to James (msg # 24):

"More fun than an icy island that smells of death and sheep?" Conrad says, raising an eyebrow at James. "You surprise me. Perhaps once we sort this business out, we can talk about a nicer place to visit. Provided that doing so advances the Empire's goals, of course."

He sighs as he glances down at the island.

"Well, we didn't find a cold iron storage unit here, so we'd best explore the rest of the island. Let's secure the door behind us and be off."

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 25):

Why is it always the empire's goals with you?  What about Connie's goals... and even more imporantly James' goals to have a wonderfully good time.

The only person here who is happy about the sheep is Alveris and that's only because he hasn't seen a woman in a while.

If we have to patrol the creepy island of cold death and random parts with a horrible flesh golem in the middle of it I suppose we may as well get a move on.  We may want to bring some stuff to start a fire... you know just in case.

/ooc apparantly if Alveris' character is Archer... mine is Zaphod Beeblebrox. /ooc

In reply to James (msg # 26):

Without proper tools and materials, you can secure the door by standing it back in its place and fastening it there with rope and boards, but you cannot truly repair the hinges.

The Gnomes accomplish this task quickly, leaving you outside the deserted tower with two directions to walk, back toward the shore or north deeper into the forest.

In reply to GM (msg # 27):

James sarcastically says

FOR THE EMPIRE

he starts marching... slowly into the island.  He lets Conrad overtake him and lead them down the path.

Uthor follows Conrad where he leads, with Jeeves in tow.

In reply to Uthor son of Magnusson (msg # 29):

The trail to the north curves sharply a dozen or so meters from the tower, then continues in a slow lazy arc roughly north.

The ground is covered in tracks from Humans, sheep and others.  It is difficult to make out what these other tracks might be due to the preponderance of deep bloody gouges which look to be the marks of bodies being dragged along the path.

After a brief hike, you come to a fork in the path which is in the middle of a natural clearing where it is too rocky for many trees to grow.  Long before you round the corner and see the clearing, your noses give a hint of what you will find there.

At the middle of the fork is the remains of a wooden signpost, though only the post remains.

Propped up against it is the corpse of a headless man in a long brown robe.  There is a small metal cross in one hand and laid on his lap is a large leather-bound book.  The entire front of his robe is bloodstained.

The path leading right looks to be clear, but the path to the left is blocked by the source of the smells you had noticed earlier.

The blockage is a pile of dead acolytes, stacked into a wall several feet high that spans the path.  Even from a distance you can see that their eyes are scratched out and their spines have been ripped out.

The question of why you didn't find any weapons is also answered.  Though each corpse is still dressed, their trousers have been pulled down and their swords shoved up their arses halfway to the hilt.

In the very center of the pile, A spear has been jammed with the robed man's missing head jammed onto the top like a grotesque flagpole.  That head too has no eyes, and there is a paper scroll jammed into its mouth.

Somehow, though there are flies and maggots aplenty, no larger animals seem to have disturbed the corpses yet.

In reply to GM (msg # 30):

Lets go home.

In reply to James (msg # 31):

Conrad blinks at the scene before him, ignoring the fey as he activates his power axe with its distinctive click-whrrl.

"Shoot anything -- ANYTHING -- that moves and isn't us," Conrad says, raising his voice to ensure anyone nearby would hear the order.

At this gesture, Hom and Magni ready their weapons, covering the Lt. Commander as he approaches the wall of corpses to retrieve the scroll.

C'mmander, wait!

Uthor holds out a hand toward Conrad.

I don't trust much anything on this island.  Let Jeeves pick it up.

The AutoGnome steps forward to retrieve the document.

In reply to Uthor son of Magnusson (msg # 33):

Conrad nods.

In reply to Conrad Deepsavior (msg # 34):

James looks at the needle gun slung over his shoulder

I have a feeling this won't help us here.

He knocks an arrow and holds it ready

But this will

In reply to James (msg # 35):

The AutoGnomes steps forward fearlessly, disturbing some of the flies from the makeshift corpse/wall.

Hom and Magni nearly open fire when the AutoGnome carelessly bumps into the wall and a man's arm shifts slightly.

The machine retrieves the scroll and stomps back with it.

Conrad opens it while Uthor nervously re-winds the AutoGnome.

The scroll is covered in bloody smears with something written in in the blood, which Conrad reads aloud.

"All welcome, come visit!"

Uthor orders the AutoGnome to drop the scroll, then follows Conrad wherever he decides to go.  Jeeves comes with him.

In reply to Uthor son of Magnusson (msg # 37):

Why do I feel like I've just been lied to.

In reply to James (msg # 38):

The AutoGnome drops the scroll on the ground where the cold wind, which seems to be coming from the unblocked path to the East, rolls it around in the dirt.

The wind catches some of the pages of the dead man's book and flips them back and forth gently.

In reply to GM (msg # 39):

Jeeves grab that book and bring it back here... please.

In reply to James (msg # 40):

The AutoGnome swivels its head to stare with unblinking gem eyes at the Fey but does not respond to his command.