In reply to Balir Ironhide (msg # 436):

"Hmmm, giant rabbit. Now you are making me hungry..."

Kirpich follows him, leading the mule.

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 437):

The forrest thins, and you can smell smoke. In the distance to the right, you can see the vine covered walls of a tower tucked between the trees. The charred smell is coming from the left.

Something burns, let me check, the tower will wait.


He heads toward the source of smoke carefully   [Private to GM:  09:12, Today: Aethul rolled 11 using 3d6.  Stealth. by 2]

In reply to Aethul (msg # 439):

You come across the smoldering ruins of a farm.  The early crops are burning, the roof is gone from the smoking walls of the farmhouse, the wagon is a charred skeleton of itself, and their are a number of large tracks deep in the soil.

We will search for survivors and/or injured people or animals.  Then assess the tracks and what may have happened.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 441):

you find a horse that has had its head bitten off, and a couple of very large bites taken out of its haunches.


Naturalist roll or tracking

He is replused by the signs on the horse.



[Private to GM: 20:56, Today: Aethul rolled 11 using 3d6.  Tracking.   by 4
20:56, Today: Aethul rolled 10 using 3d6.  Naturalist.    By 1 ]

In reply to Narrator (msg # 442):

"Whatever killed it could have at least had the decency to eat it all...keep an eye out for it in case it plans to come back to do just that!"

Kirpich creates a stone missile, then looks away from the horse to the tracks around it. Not much of a naturalist, he is quite good at reading the earth...

[Private to GM: Rolled 11 under skill to create a stone missile, then Rolled 6 under tracking skill...]

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 444):

The tracks are nearly a day old, and they are of a very large creature with more than four legs, probably SM 4, with three toed feet.

[Private to Aethul: These are Slorn tracks, made just after the rain, and of unusual size for sure.]

I think it was a very large Slorn. Perhaps the horse was already dead and the smell drew it.  I doubt the slorn burned out the farm though, and the inhabitants are gone, perhaps as prisoners. All is not well here methinks. Should we investigate the tower?

Balir grunts in agreement with Aethul.  "Not much to be done for ze family.  Zey are all dead, methinks.  Ze tower...  Zey should have protected the people.  Something seems wrong zere."

Indeed, but I see no sign of dead people around... no signs of blood or a fight. My fear is they were taken away against their will.

"Ze tower still should have protected zem.  Or it caused ze problem.  Either way ve go to ze tower.  Unless you see a reasone ve should go to the farmhouse."

I was talking about that old tower behind us, not the new one the baron or whatever he is, lives in.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 450):

"I agree. We need to deal with the immediate problem before moving on. It may be that the two are related. Probably, I suspect...is there an obvious way in that is open, or should I call on Grom's help?"

Don't know, we haven't looked.

Balir shrugs, which is a fairly obvious gesture given the size of his shoulders.  He doesn't know the customs of the top-siders, so it was probably best for him to see how they handled things.  Perhaps they would come to a different or better conclusion than he had.  Thus, he responds in a more non-committal fashion.  "Lead on, zen"

He heads back toward the moss covered ruined tower.

Balir has his axe in hand and is wary, expecting danger.  He follows closely behind Aethul, letting the more experienced woodsman lead.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 454):

The tower is a good quarter mile away, and the approach covered in unchecked undergrowth of brambles and thorny vines. Marlena shivers slightly, and Dionysus'eyes widen as you get close to the outer wall. Overgrown with ivy of the shiny three lobed leaf variety, you can make out an iron gate wrapped with chains. Stone spikes run along the top of the wall.

Take care of the shiny tree leaved plants, as they will cause great discomfort, the oils on them poison the skin. It appears that visitors are not welcome. Interesting.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:00, Thu 29 Aug 2019.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 457):

"Hmmm, thank you for the warning. Chunky, you are blessed by Grom in that I think you are uneffected by the plant. Please be so kind as to clear a wide path through it for us. Use your club, so that the poison might coat it. I would use my pick, but in all likelihood, it would probably present as much danger to me as to an enemy..."

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 458):

The talus waddles over toward the gate and starts clearing the poison ivy.

In reply to chunky (msg # 459):

"I know seizing a tower was part of what we discussed, but aren't we going to be paid for killing some beast?"

Yes, likely the one that wiped out that farm. but this place was mentioned as the probable source of any real take out of this deal.