Getting out and walking seemed to take the edge from Alyssa's anxiety, although there was certainly plenty enough to worry about. With a bit more enthusiasm than one might expect, the little halfling announced, "Last time I was in these woods, I ran into a dire wolf!" She shrugged. "At least it seemed dire. Maybe it was just really big."

She was feeling safe in the company of adventurers, and although she didn't say it loudly, she did vote for a luncheon among the ruins rather than on the narrow trail.

"I think we should continue on... on to the keep." Arthua suggested, "I think we'll be more comfortable with a roof over our heads."

Shalimar glanced between the trail and the ruins but kept his peace for the moment. Seeking shelter amongst the ruins seemed the best course of action but who knew what may have moved into it when its original owners moved out. Still the bard looked forward to exploring it all the same.

Being a bloodthirsty elf himself, Glynnelis didn't put much stock in the townsfolk's rumors about the forest. Missing people, on the other hand, were cause for worry. "We've a perfectly fine canopy over our heads now," he suggested when talk arose of stopping for lunch, looking up at the trees that blocked out the sky above them. "Nothing but trouble to found in old ruins."

"Geez, that's...pretty big, innit? Didn't know something like that was out here." Talia remarked, staring in amazement at the large castle. She nodded at Yry's words. "It'd be cool to check it out, but no tellin' what kind of stuff is in there."

Shalimar grinned listening to the others setting his sights on the ruins more fully, "Well looks like crumbling walls are going to see some visitors, lets head on and see what else is there." The bard pulled out his blade as he moved on towards the ruins, prepared to see what else may be seeking sheltered amongst the falling stones.

Alyssa followed along, staying near Talia. Seeing Shalimar draw steel, she put on a determined face and got her bow ready. She didn't yet nock an arrow. If there was anyone at the ruins, she didn't want them to think this little band was coming to maraud them.

Glynnelis followed the others with a frown on his face and a hand hovering near the hilt of his sword.

Orila had been quiet since the meeting with the major. Being called one of the heroes seemed to have affected her more than even she realized. Despite being absorbed in her thoughts, she helped out with the moving through the wilderness as much as she could.

As they neared the ruins the goliath snapped out of her contemplation. "If someone had passed here, they would have sought out shelter as well." she turned towards the crumbling structure, not thinking that running into trouble is something that should be avoided. Not that she was reckless. She motioned for others to quiet down as they approached while she searched the ruins and their surroundings for any signs of trouble.

08:59, Today: Orila rolled 21 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 18.  Perception - approaching the ruins.

The castle ruins are built into a natural clearing on a natural hill in the middle. What was once a well tended defensive position is now overrun with ivy and brush and young trees have started ruining the once perfect sight lines from the ruined castle’s two towers. One of the towers has almost completely collapsed while the other seems intact, if structurally unstable looking.

Surrounding the castle are the remains of its once mighty fortifications. One wall has collapsed completely while a second is mostly collapsed. The other two walls are still intact although they would need significant repairs before they could once again repel invaders.

One of the keep’s main doors lies open revealing a pile of rubble. The other door seems securely barred from the inside. The only entry point is a jagged hole where the watchtower fell.

The interior is full of debris by the outer wall but the 30’ diameter watchtower leads into a 25’x30’ room that is clear of debris and sheltered from the elements providing a cool, if dark, rest from the hot midday sun.

Twelve suits of plate mail stand around the walls, six to either side. Eleven of them are rusted and pitted from neglect but one of the suits gleams in the light like polished silver. While the crests on the eleven rusty suits are too worn to tell on the still gleaming one is the sigil of the Order of the Silver Chalice, an ancient order of knights established over 100 years ago. They were vital in helping Queen Zaranda restore order to Tethyr during the Reclamation period.  The Order was an important part of Tethyr history up until recently when during the civil war their numbers were decimated in battle. Since then the order has all but disappeared from the Realm.

The elf's frown only deepens at the sight of the decrepit ruins and the oddly preserved armor. "Either it's enchanted, or someone has been maintaining it," he mutters. "I'd like to have an answer to that question before we get too comfortable." He lights a few candles and a stick of incense and begins softly chanting.

Ritual casting Detect Magic.

Also curious: are there stairs or anything leading up higher into the watchtower from the room where we are now?

There is a doorway that leads deeper into the ruins currently shut. A quick test shows the door is locked. The stairs leading up end about 5’ up in a pile of debris. Judging by what they can see the tower above is completely impassable.

---

The armor appears to faintly glow and Glynnelis identifies the school of magic as Abjuration.

Shalimar studied the order symbol with some interest, "An old knight fort perhaps?" The bard eyed the series of armor with some weariness however, while a more mint condition suit amongst the host was impressive a question came to voice, "This seems a bit suspect, between the towns presence and the kobolds and goddess knows what else in the hills how are any of those suits still here? It's been about fifty years since this order was in these parts, has no young lad thought to claim a suit to impress a maid?"

"Perhaps not. Didn't we almost pass the ruins." Arthua stopped at the locked door. He inspected the door for several seconds. "The door is locked... let me see if I can jimmy it open."


Unlock door attempt
rolled 20 using 1d20 with rolls of 20.  Unlock door

What skill is this? Sleight of Hand +5 with a +4 from the Thieves Tools for a total of 29?

"Maids wear armor too, Shalimar," Alyssa corrected the bard, pointing with her thumb to Talia. "In case you didn't notice." But then she realized she said that out loud and stopped, boggle-eyed and blushing, before hiding again behind her taller friend.

She left investigation of the strange armor and the door to others, but she did poke around the area, in and around the ruins, looking for signs that anyone else had camped here recently (or not so recently).

[OOC: let me know if you need a perception, investigation, or survival role and, if so, whether the ranger's favored terrain bonus applies.]

"Some sort of enchantment protects that particular suit," Glynnelis said in response to the bard's speculation. "It may be as simple as an abjuration to protect it from falling into disrepair, or it may be something more... robust. I'd just as well leave it alone. We came here to rest, did we not?" He said this last with a wary eye at the rogue picking the door.

The bard nodded lightly at both comments even grinning broadly at Alyssas and accepting her correction, "All the more reason to suspect something is guarding this place. While a lone suit of pristine armor might have some trap or such to protect it, what of the regular armors? Aye they are rusted and in disrepair but if you scavenged the eleven sets I'd wager we'd get at least one set of usable armor, yet they too stand untouched. Hells, blacksmiths alone would pay through the nose for all that scrap metal to reforge other things I'm guessing."

Shalimar stood ready as Arthua tinkered with the door, "Even if we ignore the suits and mind our own business will whatever kept thieves and scavengers away let us rest so close?"

"A fair question. Perhaps we should decamp to the forest, where none would have cause to trouble us?"

The bards shoulders slumped, gesturing towards the ominous doorway with obvious trouble and treasure to be had, "But...but... ADVENTURE!" Shalimar looks quite crestfallen as the elf chimes in with some sound logic and common sense.

Arthua turned from the locked door. "Silence." He hissed, "You'll wake the dead."


Rolled natural 20. So that's a 27 to unlock the door

The door unlocks with a loud thunk as iron bars internal to the door snap open. The door reveals a dank and dark corridor 20' long that goes as far as the limited torch light can see before opening up into a large central entrance hall. There are three more doors visible along the corridor and two more side branches. It seems that the entire interior of the castle is now open to the party and a place this size would have dozens of rooms, not to mention most likely some kind of dungeon level and, judging by the exterior, possibly a second floor.

One of the wall panels slides open near the part and a horde of red glowing eyes set in bleached white skulls can be seen. Skeletons start pouring from a stairwell that had been hidden by dirt and debris.

OOC: Initiative time. I'll get a map up tonight.

This message was deleted by the player at 12:23, Wed 31 July 2019.

Shalimar looked from the incoming skeletons to his rapier and back again. "Agreed, adventure over, fully agree with closing the door again. Curiosity sated. Whose for a picnic in the woods?"

---

OOC:
22:09, Today: Shalimar Rhann rolled 22 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 19.  Initative.

"Oh!" the elf sputtered at the sight of the skeletons. "Oh, we'll wake the dead?" he snapped at Arthua, already beginning to whisper a prayer to Aerdrie Faenya.

Glynnelis Huntinghawk rolled 10 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 7.  Initiative.

Frowning the bard pointed towards the closest skeleton cursing its fragile boney appearance, "Foul dead return to your rotting, you have failed in your duty thus you should be jeered!"

---

OOC:

Vicious Mockery vs Skeleton P10

09:14, Today: Shalimar Rhann rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  Vicious Mockery damage (if it lands).