Young children are sent as messengers from Greentown throughout the valley in an urgent appeal for citizens willing to undertake a perilous mission. No details are given but any and all willing people are to meet in farmer Breglund's barn as soon as possible.

Arriving at the barn you see four stern sad looking local human men sitting at a table and barrels set out as seats for all who reply to the message.

[OOC: assuming you heed the call introduce your character.]

Orlen wasted no time in going to the barn after the child delivered the message. He had few other prospects with the circus having been disbanded and the Black Foot tribe scattered this seemed like a good way for Orlen to earn some cash hopefully and increase his fame.

Orlen arrives at the barn and looks about, the accommodations seem much more modest than he initially expected. However the humans seemed sad and sorrow was often brought from hardships. Perhaps he could be a help to this cause.

"I am Orlen, circus performer, turned soldier. I have fought against the Black Foot goblin tribe most recently and their ogre overlords. I have responded to your call and am eager to help lift your burdens" the rock gnome declares. His weapons were of the finest quality as was his armor.

The men nod as if only half listening to anything other than their sad thoughts. An aged woman comes in and places down a platter of food and a pitcher of cold wine.

"Eat, drink, while you wait for others to arrive." she says handing him a goblet and small plate.

Orlen took the offered goblet and took a few pieces of the snack offered. He looked back hoping others would come as well. He shifted in his seat wishing they'd tell him the nature of their sorrows. They no doubt wanted to wait til more had gathered not wishing to repeat themselves though.

Beagan had just arrived in town for a visit with his friends his trusty riding dog knowing the way with no real guidance from him.

His dog stopped for a drink at a trough and a child came and told him there was trouble.

Thinking that surely everyone else had arrive he rode on to the barn.  It certainly was no party and certainly not the place the trouble was happening.

Seeing Orlen he sits down
“So what’s the trouble?”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:02, Sun 09 Feb 2020.

Orlen shrugged "They've not said so far. They seem very sad though. I'm sure they are waiting for more to arrive."

“Kid told me about trouble which is as you say very non-specific.”

He passes a leg of turkey from the table to his dog CoCo beneath his bench....

A Gnome woman appeared from the forest on the outskirts of the farm.  The slender gnome wore what looked like brown leather and held a staff of brown oak. Her golden hair was framed with leaves of green and orange.

Galeyn happened to come upon the child who was injured after a snake bite  The druid tended his wounds, and told him to go home and rest.  The child, upset, told her of his task, and the woman smiled. "I will go to the farm child."

That was an hour ago, and now the druid walked up, with a solemn look on her face. She rarely interacted with others, let alone humans. She saw Orlen and Beagan and nodded to them. She sat to the side a little, but still within talking distance, but the way she sat seemed aquard….a sure sign of her isolation from others.

When the woman offered her food and wine, the druid smiled. "...just water thank you." taking an apple from the platter, she took out a dagger and cut it, eating it slowly

Orlen responded to Beagan "The kid told me the same."

Orlen nodded at the gnome woman as she arrived. She had the look of a druid or nature priest. A healer was always welcomed when confronting evil.

Clover seems to have arrived last or at least close to last. as he walks in he struggles with the door but he manages despite he diminished strength.

clover recognizes many people, they have all come to borrow or study a book now and then, but knowing any of them would be a stretch. it is not that he does not want friends and companions, but having friends generally requires leaving the relative safety of his books and the library. he grown tired of only hearing other peoples stories, he wanted to make his own.

so he answered the summons for heroes and adventurers, well he wanted to answer the call any way. but walking so far was just about the bravest thing he had ever done. arriving he saw ponies and riding dogs, and even some horses.

realizing that for all the things he knew, and all the stories of knights and thier brave steeds. he had walked, because he was so wrapped up in doing his first brave thing in his life, that he forgot to get a mount.

looking around for what ever reason Beagan's table look to have the most room, and by room...it looked least likely to put stains on his books. pulling out a white cloth he wipes the seat of the chair and climbs up next to Beagan he pulls out another white cloth and wipes the portion of the table/bar in front of him. (use activated prestidigitation)


knowing from his training how much power can be contained in a single word he greets his acquaintance and more then occasional lover of obscure books on forgotten knowledge with a single word.

hi

Orlen was surprised to see Clover here, the librarian wasn't what you'd think of as the adventuring type. Still perhaps Clover's arcane magic might come in handy in a pinch. He nodded to the librarian and responded to his hi with a "Hello"

Beagan hops on board the game now afoot
“Well met with greetings and salutations.”
This message was lightly edited by the player at 15:59, Mon 10 Feb 2020.

The sad men nod to the new arrivals. One starts to stand and speak but another forces him to sit back down.

"Wait, my friend. Maybe more will come. In a situation like this extra hands may well stave off destruction," the man says.

[[OOC: Let's give it until tomorrow to see if any of the others can join us. If not we can start and they can be your rescue party catch up.]]
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 05:07, Tue 11 Feb 2020.

Beagan drinks wine and eats food while passing more under the table to Coco.

“It’s been about a month since I was in the village: what have you lot been mucking up without me here?”

"Well I tried to get the circus going again after the Black Foot tribe was scattered. To many of the original crew lost and not enough funds to get the wagons and supplies needed to make a workable circus. So I've mostly been hanging around, hunting a little, and practicing." Orlen tells Beagan.

  A short, plump, balding gnome is the next to arrive, looking a little flustered. "Sorry I'm late," he apologises, breathing heavily and resting with one arm on the door-frame. "Am I late? Cutting it fine as usual."
  He approaches the table and hops up onto one of the barrels. "Oo, food what have I missed?"

Orlen points to the sad humans "Not much, they were hoping for more and haven't shared the reasons for summoning us yet." says Orlen as he looks over the new comer. Didn't seemto be many fighters answering the call he noted. He wondered how he'd keep them all alive.

@Orlen
“I was thinking of joining up!  Much call for me to break stuff with a small hammer in one strike?”  I will keep practicing regardless.”
Beagan shrugs and touched his hammer in the loop on his belt

@Tom
“Nothing yet we are still on the first course of dinner and I’m not leaving without a full dinner with dessert!   No singing no music and no joy at all for you to miss out on.”

Clover sits relatively quietly at the end of the table. All the words that need saying are being said in great quantity, so there is no need for him to add. So instead he decides to listen and take notes.

he reached below his cloak and mutters a phrase...
[Language unknown: liroasec io unil'milo adouom ek ate halope]
nd a large tome appears in his hand. setting the book on the table he retrieves a quill and ink and begins writing.

carefully observing the hosts of this somber event, he catalogs everything.


Clover rolled 16 heal check.
the first thing he looks for is obvious physical clues to the nature of the call on the body of the hosts.

recent significant injuries that could indicate the cause for the summons.

Clover rolled 13 K nature.

reviewing his notes he made before his arrival here to identify local wildlife  that should be in the area and if there is any changes in the expected that could indicate an invading predator in the area

Clover rolled 27 K history

reviewing his notes on the wider region to find some cycle of a returning threat that may have  returned, or even returned early.

They are in close proximity to the bloodstone pass. Which the history books record as having troubles of its own in the past. Financially due to the change in the trade routes that resulted from the death of a dragon turtle that ended up re-opening more cost efficient sea trade routes, and secondly significant dust up some in the Summer, 1359 DR, with some orcs in the mines who were allied with the lower planes, that needed some heroes to assist. though for all the notes he has, the names of those heroes were strangely missing from his notes
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Wed 12 Feb 2020.

The three men nod almost simultaneously in silent agreement that quorum has been met with the latest arrival. Or they were just becoming impatient.

Clover does recall the stories of strange items being found in the soil of the valley and, it seems, this is the reason for the summons.

One of the men stands up to speak.

"Yesterday while tilling his field, Kerman here struck a large stone. He roped it to his mule and pulled revealing a gap underneath, a gap which leads to somewhere."

"Aye, and a foul stench it did emit." says another man, the aforementioned Kerman you suppose.

"Naturally we assumed no good could come of this so planned to keep it secret until the proper authorities on such things could be found. Unfortunately, our boys overheard our discussion and snuck into the hole sometime last night. They have not been heard from since. This morning old master Tilman said he'd go find them. He also has not returned.

"Now we ask you, if you are willing, to find our lost boys. A messenger has been sent to Valls to see if adventurers there can come but I fear that they will not reach our town in time."

The lithe female gnome, sitting closest to Clover, looked at him with a smile. She, like him, was happy listening to the others talk....in truth theirs were one of the first voices she had heard in a few months.

....she tended to be alone

but something about this call bothered her. she normally would not have answered - her concern were animals and nature. Hearing what had happened cemented that Nature's will was correct to lead her here.

She waited to confirm her place until others spoke up. Instead she asked a question.

"the stone...can you describe it? Was it natural or had it been worked, and was their any marks on it?" her voice was soft, musical, like the ring of dawn, but despite it's low volume, could still be heard

Orlen listened to the plight of the men and was saddened to hear that some children had ventured forward into the danger, no doubt wishing to impress their fathers. He readily volunteered for the expedition to rescue the children "I'd be happy to help you. We might need some supplies though such as a lantern and some oil or some torches to assist us in the cave."

Dessert to go then and let’s have a gander at this cave or tunnel.  No worries i have a nice lantern and pints of oil already packed.  Rope and a block and tackle and a base camp at the entrance would be very useful...

Beagan gets up from the table and immediately mounts Coco his riding dog..

“Food for sure trail rations and not sure Coco will want to venture underground so she might need proper care.”

Coco trots to the door so the humans can lead the way....

Clover listened and took notes, sometimes recording the oddest detail.

Clover rolled 5 spot check.
Though Clover is looking for dirt or soil under the hosts nails, he either did not see it or it wasn't there. Dirt would have indicated that he was very near the hole it in it while the village attempted a rescue. But just the same not all heroes are clearly visable. Few recognize the innkeepers with thier beds and nearly endless food and information as heroes. There is rarely dirt under those nails, but the life of a recognized hero would be all the more difficult without them around.

As it looks like the group is moving to leave. And despite the fact that he had not eaten or drank anything, it is not that he did not have the opportunity, he just chose not to. He nods to and tips the person bringing food and drinks. His notebooks still on the table he continues taking notes to the last moment

From Galeyn:


"On the top - the side facing the sky it is plain stone but the other side is carved and there is the remnants of paint. Truthfully, we didn't look too closely at the design."

"It was the smell first that had me shy away. Later, well, we had other worries."

Clover:

The men are dressed as simple farmer folk and they have the hard dirty calloused hands to show for it.

All:

The three men rise and lead the way out of the barn.

"It isn't too far from here," says the third man speaking for the first time.

And it isn't. Only a mile or so across the fields and through a hedge gate the grup comes to an opening in the ground. The hole isn't straight down, the opening drops to a ledge about one foot down that extends under the soil but farther back there is a sudden drop. From the rock jarred loose by the farmer a rope has been tied that drops down into the dark.

"The boys I can see squeezing through that gap into the hole but how Tilman got through I'll never know."

"The man was - errr, is, a regular eel."

A faint unnatural odour comes from the opening.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:28, Thu 13 Feb 2020.

   "I used to live underground in a cave at one time," Theo informs the rest, "so my eyesight is adapted to such conditions: Let me have a look and see what I can see." The plump gnome almost waddles over to the opening, holding his nose once he gets a whiff of the smell, and peers down into the hole.

OOC: A natural 20 on the Spot roll for a total of 23. DV 120'. DM, can you rename my character to Theo Metuckle?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:11, Thu 13 Feb 2020.

the druid walks a few steps behind the others, thinking to herself.  before looking at the hole, she examines the stone and what was underneath it.

Beagan at first tilts his sensitive nose away from the odor and then tries to place it.

“Boys must have dared each other or something that is not the smell of fresh baked pies.”

Looking at the place Orlen cautions his friends "Let's not be hasty, let me see if anything untoward here at the entrance."

He'll then search the entrance for traps

10:02, Today: Orlen rolled 27 using 1d20+7 ((20))

Clover is one of the last to leave the table where they were meeting. as he does he stands touching the book he was writing in and says [Language unknown: unolhota] and the book vanishes back to whence it came.

following the three men to the hole in the ground he walks over to the stone, looking it over
 noticing the obscure art on it.

May I have this.

pulling out a glass vial, he collects a sample of the soil from around the hole.

after putting the vial away, he approaches the edge of the hole and slowly inhales the scent coming from the hole.
16:54, Today: Clover rolled 16 using 1d20+8.  K nature.
as he inhales he tries to determine if the cause of the smell. He is smelling for hints of  rotting matter, either flesh or plant matter; or possibly sewage, there is also the change that is is the pheromones of certain creatures.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:11, Fri 14 Feb 2020.

Galeyn and Clover:



The stone is carved with a portion of a larger design. From what she sees there are a few people bowed down towards someone large who is only partially in the picture before the break in the stone. The style of the artwork is unknown; unique in its way and has a vague resemblance to other art styles in Damara. The rock its self was cut to fit tight against the rest of the still buried stonework only the outer side left looking like naturally weathered stone.

Orlen:



No traps are found. The opening does not appear to be a portal or archway but a break into the roof of the buried structure.

Beagan and Clover:




The smell is musty, with hints of ancient decay and evil.

Theo:



It's a tight fit for the stout gnome, but he eventually writhes deep enough into the gap to look into space beyond. The rope drops straight down into the darkness nearly 50', below he can barely make out bits of rubble and a body directly below the hole. The room is a large gallery about 40' wide north/south and stretching into the darkness east/west. The walls are covered in relief images of various humans and demi humans, animals, and various mysterious monsterous creatures.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:49, Fri 14 Feb 2020.

Added a map of what has been seen so far. Not much to see yet.

"Well this is interesting" Orlen mutters. "It appears that this is the break in the roof of a buried structure. Are there any legends about buried structures in this area?" he asks

“Are we sure the kids went down this and did so voluntarily?”

His face shows concern as he imagines the tentacles of some beast or an enchanting lure that forced them down

Tydor had his new home somewhat nearby and came over seeing the people in a cave rode over dismounting and feeding her then hollers inside. "Merry meet what are you doing in this stink hole any need for a wizard?," she knew one gnome from a distance so knew they were likely locals. And well its near his home a danger must be dealt with also.

  Theo pulls his head back out of the hole. "There's a body down there," he tells everybody. "Must've fallen through."

OOC: What size body?

Orlen turned to look at the halfling new arrival seemingly sizing him up, "A wizard you say? Can you lower us safely into the structure below that we could lookfor the children?" he asks Tydor

"Well sure, children at risk in there we have to help them. Lower me down!," he got ready to go down.

Orlen responds to Tydor "Not exactly what I had in mind, anything to levitate us or fly us there:"

Orlen looks around at everyone asking to no one in particular "Anyone got a grappling hook or block in tackle?"

Theo:

Sorry, I should have mentioned that the body is human-sized. Maybe the Tilman that was mentioned by the farmers?

Note:

Did I forget to mention that there is a rope already tied to the exposed bolder that drops down into the darkness? Probably put there by the boys or Tilman.

{OOC: Welcome back Ty. I hope you are better]

   Theo informs the rest on the size of the body. "I'll go down and take a closer look," he adds. He mutters a few words and makes a couple of simple guestures, before squeezing back through the hole once more. But rather than using the rope, once through he places his hands and the feet on the ceiling, crawling away from the entrance a few steps and then letting go and hanging upside-down by his feet sticking to the rock above.
   He pauses for a moment, to assess his surroundings, and then moves over to wall (assuming nothing untoward is moticed). There's a moment of hand use and shifting position as he reorientates himself to walk down the wall to the floor which he does.
   He pauses again before reaching the bottom, looking and listening, but when he continues, he makes his way over to the body to examine it.

OOC: Use Spiderwalk invocation (the poor-man's Fly).

Galeyn muses over the engravings of the rock, clearly part of some elaborate ceiling. She walks over to the others, clearly smelling the putrid smell of death, decay and evil. The gnome allowed a small shudder to go down her spine as she stood there, watching Theo decend.

she looks at the others with a detached look, neither happy or sad....just a neutral look. "If he says it's clear, i will go next....i can use nature's will to light the area."

Her voice was still soft, but a little more sure and focused

Clover looks at the hole and the rope. Pauses for a moment ant states with a command voice...
Clover rolled 30 True speak
...[Language unknown: eareauhatort welo'timemi] granting himself a short lived bonus to his climb check...he grabs the rope almost as if he knows what he is doing, stepping to the hole he speaks in a command voice...
Clover rolled 31 True speak
...[Language unknown: alcengna leswasicaine] as he finishes speaking he gains a "freedom of movement" that lasts for a single round and slips through the hole as if the hole was quite wider.

Clover rolled 16 Climb.

Once through the tight spot clover decends the rope landing on the ground, it is clear he is no expert with ropes and climbing but making a minimum of a fool of himself as well.

"CoCo you have to stay with the nice humans."

Beagan likewise begins the journey down, first lowering his pack and then lowering himself as he didn't think it wise to try and climb while loaded down,

Once at the bottom
"I have a sunrod and labtern, depending on what we need."

Orlen waits for Clover to get down he clambers down himself muttering to himself "Brave souls but they are to squishy to go alone."

09:57, Today: Orlen rolled 26 using 1d20+9 ((17)).

Once down he'll take stock of the area as he readies his short sword and shield.

10:01, Today: Orlen rolled 10 using 1d20+1.  Spot.

10:01, Today: Orlen rolled 10 using 1d20+3.  Listen.

So we have Orlen, Beagan, Clover, and Theo down in the room, Galeyn and Ty still on the surface. Best to pause here until we get the magic items sorted out. You all may need them a few posts from now!

Okay, let's resume. Anyone who hasn't chosen their magic items can be considered to have left them at home. With the rush to respond to the urgent summons they forgot to pick up the devices.

Orlen, Beagan, Clover, and Theo down in the fancy painted chamber standing around a dead human body, Galeyn, Sir Jovius, and Ty on the surface with the humans.

Orlen looked about noting that the roof or something seemed to have fallen in. He hoped this would provide enough dust to see which way the boys went. He immediately begins to search for tracks in any dust or dirt covering the floor the moment he hops off the rope.

"Easy fellows, let me see if I can pick up the trail." He cautions the others. He though knew it would not be easy, he was used to tracking giants and large parties which were relatively easy to track.


20:34, Today: Orlen rolled 17 using 1d20 ((17)).

A well dressed Halfling with a fancy wide brimmed hat, complete with an ostrich feather, walked over to join the group.   He wore a brand new cloak over his shining mithril chain mail, and strode purposefully towards the hole.

"Hello, my good friends!  I'm sorry for my tardiness, but I couldn't find my hat.  I heard someone say something about missing children.  What can I do to help?
My name is Sir Jovius, late of the Courts of Cormyr, and My sword and strong right arm are at your disposal."



This message was last edited by the player at 05:58, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

Galeyn Looked at the halfling, and nodded. She was not one for material items like most people, and this man with his attachment to his hat, was one of the most she had met. She, however, held her judgement in reserve....she had only just met him.

"Some of our group have decended into the hole. I cannot speak for the others, but i welcome a extra sword."

She stepped to the edge of the hole and called down. "Is it safe to come down?"

"Aye, seems clear enough" Orlen calls back up while examining the area for tracks.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

“Should we not tie the mans body to the rope so he might be brought up for proper burial?”

Orlen:

The dust of centuries lies upon the tiled floor with scattered tracks of small vermin crisscrossing it. Upon that layer is more recent dirt and dust fallen from when the boulder was pulled free. Amid this newer layer are the obvious tracks of three people heading west; one set of prints is mingled with drops of blood, another has one foot dragging as if injured, the third shows no sign of ill health.

Beagan:

While a person could shimmy and wiggle their way through the gap, it would be much more difficult to pull a body back out without expanding the opening. Or, of course, chopping the body into smaller pieces.

Clover looks at the body and then at the hole, then states mater of factually, as if what he says is as easy as him speaking.

I can ensure it fits..

---

from a game mechanic point of view if someone outside (or inside) the hole has their hands on the body when attempting to get the body through the hole. it is basically an escape artist check to pull push a load through a hole the load came through under its own power on the way in.


the DC for Clover to do this is two truespeak checks at (17 + [2 times the HD of the puller])
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Sat 22 Feb 2020.

[OOC: Would it be wise to use resources in the recovery of the body when great, big nasties might be crawling about in the darkness around Clover?]

Galeyn, sick of standing in the hole while all the men had all the fun, climbed down to the others, slipping a little, but making it ok.

Once there, she grabs a loose rock and begins chanting in the gnome tongue.  The ordinary rock begins to glow within a warm white light, shining in the area.

She looks at the men with a shake of her head. "Shine some light on the subject....might help you a bit."She looks around, muttering something about men.

“I don’t see a clear way to get him up right now, and we have children to find.”

Beagan pulls a sunrod from his bag and hits it on the ground to add to the light.

“Who is first? I can check for traps.”

"Three tracks going that way" Orlen tells the others as he points out the way.

"One print the boy is bleeding, another one is dragging a foot, and the last one seems okay. I assume the first cut himself on the rocks and the one dragging a foot most likely sprained or broke his foot. They will need aid as quickly as possible. Let's take care of the living first and then worry about the dead. The man weighs more than the boys or us and if the rope was to break under his weight we could get stuck here" he cautious further.

He then adds as he starts following the tracks "There are also vermin tracks about the boys could be in danger from them as well."

Looking down, the halfling swashbuckler nodded grimly
"I guess there's nothing for it, then.  I'm coming down to help "

If possible, he tried to enter the hole and climb down

Beagan checks the local for traps
Beagan WobbleCog rolled 12 using 1d20+7.  Search for traps.

“Why did they leave the area?”

"I'm not sure but if I had to hazard a guess they might of been looking for another way out, with one bleeding and another with a hurt foot or leg they couldn't have made it back up the rope without help." Orlen speculates.

13:55, Today: Clover rolled 25 using 1d20+8.  K nature.

clover stoops over in the light emanating from the various light sources and studies the vermin tracks to get a better ideas what kind of vermin.rats are most likly but in caverns like this centipedes or spider are just as likely  but knowing what kind of vermin could make the difference.

Jotting a few things down in a small journal he looks through his notes before revealing what he discovers

* - updated map

[OOC: Let's assume everyone is underground. I believe only Ty hasn't checked in.]

Clover;

From what you can see of the tracks they are all from rats, mice, and other innocuous creatures.

Everyone:

The tracks continue westward until branches open up to the north and south. The footprints show the boys stopped and probably discussed things for a few minutes. After the bleeding prints lead to the south, the healthy and scuffling prints to the north. The chamber continues west into the darkness.

The well dressed halfling caught up with the others.  He looked at the tracks, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.

"Hello, all!  Sir Jovius, lately of the Courts of Cormyr, and Adventurer at Large, at your service.   I'm here to help, if i can.  I'm presuming that the bloody footprints lead to the those in most need? We could try to follow both, though that breaks one of the cardinal rules of Adventuring "

  "I'd say the shuffling one was possibly hurt the most," says Theo, "maybe a broken bone. But the bleeding one is alone, and thus more likely to get into trouble, so I'd say we head that way."

"Let's go and follow the one alone, as you say he is most vulnerable alone." Orlen adds as he starts to head in  the direction of the lone set of footprints.

Jovius shrugged and gave a wry smile
"I guess we're going that way, then."
He followed the ranger

The druid, holding her staff, paused as she listened to some rumbling and she smiled. Within moments, a badger, little larger than most, appeared with a snort.  The druid stroked the badger with fondness on the side of his head. "Don't grumble old man...i knew you would catch up with me, you always do."

The druid turned and followed the others, the badger in tow looking like a grumpy old man following a teenager. The druid looked at the others with a smile. "What....you think he'd let me have all the fun without him?"

he followed after Jovius, speaking all the while. "....don't be ridiculous Roughnut....you could find me anywhere." The badger growled low, and she paused and turned with a shock look at the badger. "Oh....you did not go there....after last time, you want to start this again!"

The badger looked anywhere but the druid, snorted and walked on. The druid smiled as she walked on. "All bluster." she muttered

[OOC: I will hold off until tomorrow to let the others chime in. Also, your party is large enough that you could split up....]
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 06:29, Mon 24 Feb 2020.

Clover follows quietly, But has a feeling that the two that are not bleeding are likely the younger. he has no evidence to support the theory, but there are enough that a short division of the group would cause minimal issues.

He enjoys the strength in numbers but this was no time for an over abundace of cauton, time may mean the difference in life and death of the lost kids.

he takes a few short steps in the direction of the two seeming to indicate wordlessly his intention to travel in that direction.

“Anyone know how fast a wounded child can walk or at least how fresh the blood spore is?”

Tydor crouches down to look at the blood trail.

"That is a good amount of blood he's spilling but not enough to cause him to faint just yet. It looks like something from his upper body - if it was a foot of leg we'd probably see more of a limp like the other lad. Maybe a head wound? That might explain his leaving his friends and wondering off if he was dizzy or confused."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:01, Thu 27 Feb 2020.

[OOC: will give the others a bit more time to check-in and see how the party slits up. I'll assign the others randomly if they don't choose. This could also give me time to find another mapping program that has more objects and things to place on the map.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:37, Tue 25 Feb 2020.

To keep the game going I will split the party up this way:

Clover, Galeyn, Tydor, and Wellby head north to follow the two sets of footprints while Orlen, Sir Jovius, Beagan, and Teo follow the bleeding prints southward.