"It could be his brother. Remember his face. We can describe the dead upon our return... If we return," she added with a grim wink to Valentino.

Nessa nodded and raised her shield. "Agreed, let's keep moving. Best not to linger in these unnatural mists" she whispered, eyes fixed forward. Without waiting, she marched ahead, determined to slay their prey.

No one has given me anything specific, so I'm going to assume you guys are following the trail away from the mist. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

Black pools of water stand like dark mirrors in and around the muddy trail. The giant trees loom on both sides of the road, their branches clawing at the mist. The fog spills out of the forest to swallow up the road behind you. After about an hour's walk, you see some kind of gate blocking the road. High stone buttresses extend in to the wood, preventing anyone from simply riding around the blockade. Huge iron gates hang on the stonework. Dew clings with cold tenacity to the rusted bars. Two headless statues of armed guardians flank the gate, their heads now lying among the weeds at their feet. They greet you with only silence.

You all experience an overbearing sensation of being watched.

A little warmed from the walk, Val peers around when he feels like he is being watched, somewhat unsettled.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

---

16:29, Today: Valentino Lo'Stronzo rolled 12 using 1d20+4.  Perception.

Val's question is greeted by utter silence.

Nessa stopped when the gates appeared, feeling some unseen presence around them. But there was no other direction that forward. "Perhaps we should knock?" Nessa said dryly and took a step forward, also keeping an eye out for any unseen watchers. With every step forward, she would wait for any attack, and if none came, she would take another step forward, until she was at the gate itself, pushing it open.

Nessa Rhone rolled 14 using 1d20+3.  Perception.

Lithuion scouted in a wide circle overhead alerting Anna of any apparent danger.  Anna herself readied a chill touch spell if they were attacked, and waited while Nessa approached the gate.  She would have kept up the minor alchemy on Nessa's trident.

Once Nessa is about ten feet from the gates, they slowly swing open with a long, low tone of metal grating on metal.

Nessa hesitates when the gates swing open on their own. Like a trap, almost. She holds up a hand to her companions, shield raised. With her free hand, she weaves her fingers through the air, mouthing an incantation under her breath. A moment later, an illusionary, silent replica of herself appears. It starts to move forward, and with another incantation, the soft thudding sound of footsteps on the ground follow the illusion.

She sends the illusion through the gates, and if nothing happens, marches through herself.

Use Misty Vision to cast Silent Image of herself (Concentration)
Cast Minor Illusion for sound (1 minute)

Vargo eyed the gates as they swung open. Every instinct he had had been screaming trap since the moment they exited the mist and this only made things worse. "Well that's a very ominous sign."

Findabair repressed a shiver as best she could. "I don't like it either. This place is odd. Let's see what happens here," she says, pointing to Nessa's double walking through the gates.

Suppressing a feeling of dread, Valentino watches the illusory double, subconsciously holding his breath.

Anna was more curious than frightened by the gate swinging open.  Was it a mechanical device? It could be an unseen servant spell, but that would mean there was someone nearby.  "Check for trip wires.  I think it's probably a mechanical device,"  she said to the group while checking the ground near herself.

14:42, Today: Anna Mithwen rolled 17 using 1d20+5.  investigate.

[Private to GM: Telepathically to her familliar Lithuion, she said, "are there people nearby?  if so in what direction?"

I rolled the checks if that's ok
14:51, Today: Anna Mithwen rolled 5 using 1d20+3.  familiar perception. advantage

14:51, Today: Anna Mithwen rolled 21 using 1d20+3.  familiar perception.
]
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Mon 29 Apr 2019.

As the illusory double walks through the gates...

...

...nothing happens.

[Private to Anna Mithwen: Lithuion doesn't see anything it recognizes as people, but it does spot something it knows as homes some distance off to the west.]

Nessa nods and walks through the gate, shield raised and eyes open for danger.

21:08, Today: Nessa Rhone rolled 4 using 1d20+3

Findabair follows close behind Nessa, her club in her right hand, shield in her left.

She looks around for any threats.


18:53, Today: Findabair rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Perception.

Val shrugs and follows after the two others, shield ready but not raised, now confident it was all in his imagination.

"This is a strange place," he says to no one in particular.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Sun 05 May 2019.

Anna followed close behind Findabair wanting to stay close to the better armored people.

Vargo crept along close behind the others warily eying their surroundings. "Strange is not quite the word I would use. Feels more like a haunted or cursed place."

Ever vigilant, you all walk through the gates. Nothing happens until you all are through, and then all that happens is the gates close back. You travel down the muddy trail for some time until you finally emerge from the dense, dark woods. The countryside sprawls before you. To your right, the woods haphazardly curve out then back in. Some ways ahead along the trail you spot what appears to be a village. To your left, the woods circle even farther out, and you can hear the faint echoes of a river.

Anna said, "we'll probably get better information from the villagers than from just snooping about."

"That is a good idea, hopefully they have somewhere we can grab a hot meal."

Glad to be out of the woods and with the welcoming sight of the village ahead Vargo's spirits raised somewhat. "Yes a hot meal and a stiff drink would be great indeed."

Nessa nodded. "Maybe the villagers can tell us where we've wandered to," she added.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Findabair starts down the path towards the village below.

Anna went along she kept an eye out for any houses with lights on.  If she saw house that looked like they would welcome strangers, she would approach the house and knock.