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IC1: Turning the Tide.

Posted by Game MasterFor group 0
Game Master
GM, 24 posts
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 14:08
  • msg #1

Turning the Tide

The reign of the evil overlord and necromancer, Nikadroy Qizproteus, has been over for quite some time.  Most of his lieutenants have been tracked down and dealt with in one way or another, but a few still remain.  Some have merely been hiding really well.  Others have started to amass power of their own.

You suspected both when you learned of events going on just outside of the great harbor in Markhain.  Along the coast to the south, houses have been being ransacked by dark shapes in the night.  Nobody has seen exactly who or what has been doing it, but the story is always the same.  Someone who lives near town has their house robbed and burned.  No one who has survived has been able to give clear details other than rough descriptions and vague clues.

Still, it was enough to grab your group's attention.

After the last attack, Illura was able to track the culprits to a cave on the Black-Sand Beaches nearby.  You stand now at the entrance.  You are at the bottom of a rocky cliff face, standing on the beach's signature black sand.  It is low tide, and you can tell that the cave entrance will be flooded before the day is through.  Which means if you don't hurry, eventually you would have to swim out or wait for the tide to go out again.  But hey, at least you will be out of the drizzling rain...

What do you do?

Dr. Hiran Krauss - What vague clue was given about the burned and ransacked houses that made you think it was one of the fallen overlord's lieutenants?

Illura - What clues have you been able to draw about the ransackers based on their tracks?

Eryn - What do you know of the Black-Sand Beaches from your former trips to the great harbor in Markhain?

Marcus
player, 13 posts
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 17:37
  • msg #2

Turning the Tide

Marcus knelt, glad that his helmet kept most of the rain out of his eyes. Grasping a handful of sand, he wondered how it would look like under the moon's glow. Probably almost as buetiful as Lusiny herself. A smile, barely noticable through his beard, crossed the paladin's face. Letting the sand trickle from his hand, he took hold of his silvery simbol with the other, and uttered a prayer in a low voice "Into the dark, we carry your light, searching for those that taint your night. May the pearl moon be forever white."

As he stood up, his eyes glanced involuterily to the North, where the red moon was just setting. His throat tightening at the sight and he forced himself to look away. The Blood goddess made a point in hunting down those following her twin, and while he did not fear such fate, the thought always made him uneasy.
Eryn
player, 12 posts
Human Female Warrior
HP 23 Armor 2
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 19:18
  • msg #3

Re: Turning the Tide

Eryn felt miserable. She stood a few feet behind the others, silently observing the holy knight's subtle ritual. She couldn't wait to keep going. On eerie nights like this - when the moon was red and animals hid from the rain - Eryn felt like not even armor and shield could protect her from the things that must surely lurk in the shadows. The recent attacks confirmed it. Something was out here.

No wonder the townsfolk say this place is cursed, she thought, as she tapped a small rock with the blunt end of her spear. The fish and crabs are all black as well.

The sellsword paused for a moment when the rock suddenly sprouted thin, black legs and began scuttering away towards the ocean. Eryn bowed down to pick up the black crab, but her hand stopped just before touching it, and instead she let it vanish below the water's surface. She turned her head to look at the others, and waited for Marcus to finish his prayer before she spoke.

"You know, in Markhain I once met a man named Bolen," she began. "His entire right arm was black and withered. I thought it was an infection he couldn't afford to treat, but Bolen spun me a tale about how it had happened after he went fishing around these parts. He claimed that his arm had gone black the moment he pulled his catch of the day off the hook. He thought it must have been the will of the gods that he be marked for trying to take anything from cursed land."

Eryn shuddered almost imperceptibly and quickly continued, her voice betraying just a hint of unease. She stood back up.

"I'm not one to believe in tall tales like that, but many fishermen have seen their wounds slowly grow black with disease. We should be careful, and hurry up. I don't wish to stay here any longer than I have to."
Rirrik Lollygag
player, 11 posts
HP: 19/19
XP: 0
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 19:38
  • msg #4

Re: Turning the Tide

Rirrik stops in front of Eryn with an arm full of the black crabs he had been planning on cracking against the rocky crag. Upon hearing about withering arms and cursed land he drops the pile onto the sand. They all scatter except for one that snips onto the gnoll's finger. Letting out a yelp he flings the creature off and says  in an irritated tone "Jeez, you could have warned a gnoll about curses before he picked out a nice dinner."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:39, Sat 11 Nov 2017.
Ilura
player, 26 posts
Human female ranger
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 23:06
  • msg #5

Re: Turning the Tide

Ilura stood with her back to the sea, protecting her eyes from the brightness of the silver moon, but also watching the cliffs for any signs of threat or overwatch.  The rain rolled easily off her cloak and the deep hood kept it from her eyes.  Their small party had travelled well and she was glad of their company.

The two moons had made the tracking straightforward, not that it had been a hard task.  Lower-level undead didn't pay much attention to covering their tracks.  Or much of anything beyond their assigned task.  She'd seen a couple of skeletons walk right off a cliff once when the summoning wizard hadn't been paying enough attention.

Zombies were the easiest.  They had more flesh and clothes to catch and tear, but no sense of pain to notice what they were leaving behind.  Skeletons had no flesh and far less clothing, though some bore the odd fragment of decaying cloth.  But their tracks were clear enough as were the broken branches as they mindlessly pushed through obstacles.  She put the number of the zombies at 4-5.  At least one of them had been  a female - unless one of the males had been a fan of gingham dresses.  The skeletons numbered between two and three.  Plus there was something else.

The last creature troubled her.  It left far less evidence of its passage.  The odd bent blade of grass, a scuff mark on stone, but no real tracks.  At least partly manifested in the physical world, but perhaps not wholey.  Whatever it was was certainly controlling the band.  Their quary had made several turns in their march rather than following the typical mindless straight line.  And from the depths of the tracks, they were carrying something.  From the tales of past attacks, probably victims.  A shudder went through her.  She wondered if the thing in control was the creature with the blue sword she'd encountered before.  "This time I must be strong enough"



She nodded her agreement at Eryn's urging and moved to the mouth of the cave.  If they hurried, there might be a chance of saving some of from the homestead.  Plus Eryn's tale wasn't making her want to wait for the water to encroach any closer.

Arrow at the ready and keeping to the cover of rocks at the edge of the cave mouth, she peered inside.  The pearl moon was near full, reflecting off the sea and carrying at least some light into the depths of the cave, though the black sand absorbed more light than she wished.

With a quiet rustle of feathers, Thomas lifted from her shoulder and entered the cavern, his eyes probing the darkness even more surely than her own.  If there were sentries or other obvious dangers, he'd let her know.

Seeing no obvious targets, she turned her head to the group.  "Keep your voices low once we enter the cavern.  The waves cover our sound here, but echoes may carry our voices far once we are within the rocks."

With that, she moved inside, continuing to scout with her bow at the ready.

quote:
15:48, Today: Ilura rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,4.  Discern Realities.

+2 is for Thomas' aid while scouting.  Forgot to include the +1 for my Wisdom, which takes it to 10 :)
"What here is not what it appears to be?"
"What is about to happen?"
"What should I be on the lookout for?"

Game Master
GM, 27 posts
Sun 12 Nov 2017
at 16:25
  • msg #6

Re: Turning the Tide

As Ilura led the party into the cave, it became increasingly difficult to see.  The moonlight reflecting off the water and salt crystals on the rocks was just a step better than total darkness.  Everyone had to move extremely slowly to keep from tripping on the rough rocky ground or to keep their armor from clanking too noisily.  What was worse, there were strings of jet black shells hanging from the ceiling in places that would surely clank loudly if bumped.  Illura was about a nose-breadth's away from running into one when her crow warned her of its presence.

After that, the skilled ranger was able to locate more of the simple traps by listening for them rustling in the slight breeze.  And with her ears perked, she now noticed another sound as well.  The sound of running water.  There was a stream in the cave that was emptying into the ocean.

After painstakingly travelling a few hundred feet into the cave this way, there was a turn in the cave's path.  Dim firelight could be seen reflecting off the rough, wet wall ahead.  As Ilura peeked low around the corner, she found herself looking at the feet of two skeleton sentries.  They hadn't noticed her or the rest of the party yet, but if you pressed any further into the cave, they surely would.

What do you do?

Ilura:
"What here is not what it appears to be?"
The cave.  It is not just a hole in the cliff face.  It is actually the outlet of an underground stream that could go for quite some distance inland.

"What is about to happen?"
Two skeleton sentries are about to notice your party if you go any further.

"What should I be on the lookout for?"
The strings of shells hanging from the ceiling.

[Edit:] Remember you get to take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:02, Sun 12 Nov 2017.
Dr Hiran Krauss
player, 32 posts
19/19
Mon 13 Nov 2017
at 04:55
  • msg #7

Re: Turning the Tide

Game Master:
Dr. Hiran Krauss - What vague clue was given about the burned and ransacked houses that made you think it was one of the fallen overlord's lieutenants?


Upon investigation and a few field tests using his various tomes he brought with him Hiran recognized the magically enhanced rotting flesh left all over the scenes.  His former master would commonly create creatures that were a mixture of flesh golems and sentient dead enhancing their forms and abilities while keeping the same obedience of the usual form.  Once these were created he would give them to his underlings and save the truly frightening creatures (Liches, Vampires, unspeakable horrors, etc..) to himself.
Dr Hiran Krauss
player, 33 posts
19/19
Mon 13 Nov 2017
at 05:06
  • msg #8

Re: Turning the Tide

Hiran used to love the red moons, the red moons in his past life meant the master would bring in new experiments and new assignments for Hiran to work on.  The red moon's were always the best for grafting, dissecting and reanimating  the recently or partially departed.  Now they brought a shiver of excitement and fear up his spine.

"Wait a second" he said muttering more to himself than anyone else.  "Yes, he could help me...but what do I want to ask?" again muttering to himself.

Hiran walks off to a bit more secluded spot away from the rest of the party.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:07, Mon 13 Nov 2017.
Ilura
player, 27 posts
Human female ranger
Mon 13 Nov 2017
at 10:56
  • msg #9

Re: Turning the Tide

Her master would have dropped the two skeletons where they stood and kept moving, but Ilura knew that her skills were not yet up to that task.  At least one would have survived to raise the alarm.  And though she had a larger party this time, she didn't have Growler or her mentor.  Surprise was probably best.

She backed away from the corner and made her way back to the party, signalling them to stop and move towards the cave entrance as best she could in the low light.

In a hushed voice she shared what she'd found.  "Two skeleton guards around a bend just a little ways ahead.  Plus strings of shells hanging from the cave ceiling that might raise an alarm.  I can probably take down one guard, but not both.  And the one I hit might not stay down.

If they were still human, I would suggest preparing an ambush.  We could make a small noise to lure one out and I could shoot from a distance to stun the other one.  But I am not sure if such undead are capable of curiousity, nor whether a blow to the head of one would stun it.  Does anyone have more experience with such abominations?"


What weapons has Ilura seen the rest of the party carrying?  Does Rirrik have a bow?
Eryn
player, 14 posts
Human Female Warrior
HP 23 Armor 2
Mon 13 Nov 2017
at 12:03
  • msg #10

Re: Turning the Tide

Eryn moved slowly across the slippery rocks, allowing Ilura to take the lead and point out most of the shell chimes before they became a problem. In this black place, even the ones hanging at the mouth of the cave had been almost impossible to spot until they were right in front of them. Lighting a torch had been out of the question. The flickering light would certainly have given them away immediately, ruining the element of surprise. Besides, they appeared to be approaching a torchlit area already.

Seeing Ilura pause just a few meters ahead of her, Eryn immediately came to a stop as well. Her shield was already partly raised in anticipation, and her spear was kept aloft to avoid scraping the ground. When Eryn heard what the ranger had to say, she wrinkled her brow.

"Skeletons," she muttered. "I don't suppose they were black as well?"

Undead had been mentioned as a strong possibility on the way in, and Eryn didn't know too much about those beyond the basics. She knew they were animated by magic or supernatural means, and that destroying them permanently could often be much more complicated than just hitting them until they stopped moving. The only one she had ever encountered in person was a ghoul that the village priest had laid it to rest with some sort of ritual after the warriors helped knock it down and drag it back to its open grave. They had been forced to strike it repeatedly to keep it from rising again on the way there.

"I've only dealt with fleshy monsters before," she replied to Ilura, keeping her voice as low as the ranger's. "I've heard tales of how to deal with others, however: It's nothing I have tried myself. Perhaps Hiran or Marcus knows more?"

Thinking back to the summer nights spent around a campfire in her home village, when she had listened with childish glee to the stories of the hunters and travelers that came to the woods for the season, Eryn faintly recalled another priest explaining the difference between regular restless spirits and necromancy. She was certain there had been mention of skeletons, for in her memory the priest held animal bones in his hands and used them to mimic the clacking of undead monsters snapping their jaws shut.


What does Eryn remember being told about undead skeletons in her youth?
Dice roller:
Eryn rolled 7 using 2d6.  Spout Lore.


[Edit:] Spelling.

This message was last edited by the player at 12:08, Mon 13 Nov 2017.
Rirrik Lollygag
player, 12 posts
HP: 19/19
XP: 0
Mon 13 Nov 2017
at 12:20
  • msg #11

Re: Turning the Tide

Rirrik sheathed the short sword he had out and pulled his bow from off his back. "My Ex-peer-tease" he began, struggling to use the word. "Isn't in undead, but unusual living creatures." he stressed living. "But I am sure they can atleast hear and see somehow. There would be no point to putting up the shells or having them guard otherwise. if we tossed something farther in they would probably atleast head down that way. The darkness won't be too much trouble for MY eyes" As soon as he finished speaking in whispers he looked around for Hiran only to catch him wandering off.

Ilura: He has a short sword and a ragged bow.
GM: I assume that gnolls like hyenas have excellent night vision, I hope it's okay that I put that bit in as part of the fiction.

Dr Hiran Krauss
player, 37 posts
19/19
Mon 13 Nov 2017
at 14:41
  • msg #12

Re: Turning the Tide

The entire party would be well aware that Hiran carries a large sack of books of various knowledge and those of you who know of any of his past deeds would know that he would have more intimate knowledge than most of the undead.
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