Asimov (18/13/16; 72 HP; CMD 20) and Irony (25/13/22; 40/40 HP; CMD 20; Hardness 4) -- Hugh d20+13=16 ; Monday May 22nd, 2023 12:03:52 AM
For some reason Asimov finds himself looking for rock hammers and posters in any of the cells. If he finds a rock hammer with no poster he looks for signs of digging, if he finds a poster but no rock hammer he still moves the poster but likely finds nothing. If he finds both a rock hammer and a poster he will move the poster to hopefully find a tunnel.
Perception: 16
(OOC: any of the prisoners shawhank their way out of here?)
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 d20+9=24 ; Monday May 22nd, 2023 4:20:12 AM
Mundhi checks to see if there she can find anything that might help to shed light on the issue of why everyone just seemed to disappear.
Perception: 24
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Monday May 22nd, 2023 7:59:55 AM Elron just can’t stop singing. Oh wait he finished. Cyrion wonders about the environmental footprint. Delbina points out that most activity takes place out in the mining areas. Zeoll claps along. Asimov looks for holes and rockhammers in the wooden prison. Mundhildur looks for clues on why everyone vanished.
Considering it is a wooden building neither hammer nor hole is found, though the mixed age of the boards tell stories of prisoners trying to pry them up to hide things or get out through and being caught and the boards being replaced.
The barracks is the next building checked. A placard hanging above the door to this building depicts a helmet over a pair of crossed swords. Several bunk beds occupy the interior. Pegs on the wall hold a few well-used cloaks. A collection of spears, swords, and a few crossbows hangs from a locked weapon rack on the far wall, next to a door leading to another room.
Inside a few things are of note. Firstly unlike the prisoners it seems each guard had a locked footlocker to keep personal belongings and valuables. They look untouched so whatever happened here it didn’t involve breaking into them to find what is likely the only valuables in the entire place.
Secondly, there is a key ring! The keys look to small to fit the gate but are no doubt for somewhere local. It’s hanging on a hook on a supporting beam
Thirdly they find a card game unfinished at a small table. Much like the letter found before it’s almost as if the 3 players set down their hands to go check on something and never came back. From the excess of queens at least one of them was cheating - maybe more than one.
Cyrion the Black HP 77/77 AC 19 or 23 CMD: 20 Monday May 22nd, 2023 6:20:29 PM
Cyrion looks around, "Instead of making more senses with what we are finding, I feel like all this makes less sense, at least to me...
Elron -- SteveM d20+19=31 ; Monday May 22nd, 2023 10:16:07 PM
Elron thinks that the prisoners weren't involved in what happened or they'd have taken the weapons. He thinks checking the next room is more likely in order than the chests, and heads that way.
Asimov follows Elron in his quest to inspect the next room.
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle Monday May 22nd, 2023 10:41:36 PM
Zeoll takes the keys but does not loot the place. He follows Asimov.
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Tuesday May 23rd, 2023 7:20:47 AM Cyrion is getting more confused as they find more clues. Elron thinks whatever happened the prisoners didn’t do it. Asimov follows the group. Zeoll takes the keys.
This building is cheerily painted, in contrast to the rest of the structures in the colony. A variety of potted plants sit alongside the building. The door is ajar, revealing a room with a table, several chairs around it, and many hanging plants. This building serves as the personal living quarters for the medic and cooks. A common room is furnished with a table and four chairs, a bookshelf, and a simple stone fireplace. Two doors lead to comfortably furnished private sleeping chambers, one for the colony medic and one shared by the two cooks.
The books are mostly fiction, with one well used medical tome talking about medical uses for herbs and plants. The two cooks share a room and the medic has a room on his own. A washroom connects the two rooms.
There is a cabinet Delbina says contains medicine and sometimes potions. If you can get it open she has no objections to you taking them on your mission to save everyone. You notice a hidden nook in the medic’s room where his personal cash is kept. The cooks also have various valuables in their rooms, though it’d be pretty heartless to take them with Delbina standing right there. She looks sadly at the bed of her friend and fellow cook.
With the staff quarters searched you’ve almost looked everywhere, but there are still many questions. Only 3 places likely to contain any clues remain - the garden, the stable, and the smithy.
Cyrion the Black HP 77/77 AC 19 or 23 CMD: 20 Tuesday May 23rd, 2023 12:43:11 PM
Cyrion wants to pick up and flip through the "well-used" book ... he'll turn to Delbina, "Might I borrow this miss?"
Elron -- SteveM Tuesday May 23rd, 2023 10:58:34 PM
Elron is not a patient rooster. He does not see the point in collecting valuables right now. He thinks the garden is probably next closest.
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle Tuesday May 23rd, 2023 11:05:51 PM
Zeoll tries to (gently) open the potions cabinet.
If not, does it seem locked? If so, do any of his new keys work?
Asimov tries to open the lock on the medicine storage cabinet.
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 Wednesday May 24th, 2023 3:43:23 AM
"What is the name of the other cook, Delbina?" Mundhi asks her.
She can read, but is not much of a reader. She does pick up one of the works of fiction, looks for the title page, looks through a few pages. "Whose books are these?" she asks the cook. "Do you know who picked them out?"
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Wednesday May 24th, 2023 7:43:44 AM Cyrion wants to borrow the book. Elron is a little impatient and suggests the garden next. Zeoll tries the cabinet. It does not yield to the keys on the ring. Asimov gets it open anyway. Mundhildur asks about the other cook and some of the books.
The cabinet contains a potion of cure light wounds, a medkit, and several bundles of herbs. Cyrion is able to find them in the book - it’s a medical text about the healing uses of local herbs - and it seems they are good for treating poisons and disease giving a +2 bonus to heal checks against them.
Delbina is happy to talk about her good friend and the books they have. The other cook was a dwarf named Bob. Yes it is an odd name for a dwarf, he was an orphan raised by humans. He has a very interesting philosophical outlook on life, having outlived his parents, siblings, and most everyone in the small town he’s from while growing up.
All of the books are personal property of one of the three who live here and Mundhildur happened to pick out a personal favorite of Delbina. It tells of a talking cat in boots and his struggle to find humility before death himself takes his 9th life for his wasting of the previous 8.
The garden is indeed nearby. Containing several fruiting trees and a few patches of other tasty plants like lettuce and tomatoes. A few bloodstains and feathers are here - remains of chickens eaten by the ape monster. DC 20 perception Highlight to display spoiler: { There are a pair of arrows hidden in the twisted roots of the trees. Buried in the earth at an angle, they must have been fired from one of the guard towers. Additionally there is a patch of earth in the corner that has been disturbed and then hastily replaced. About 3 feet wide it looks like someone was trying to hide something. }
Cyrion the Black HP 77/77 AC 19 or 23 CMD: 20 Perception Check: d20+10=30 ; Wednesday May 24th, 2023 12:53:45 PM
Looking through the book and learning about the herbs, Cyrion is impressed by the information stored in the book. " Let me hold onto the herbs guys, I can use them when we need them."
Once outside, he'll look around the garden for more herns to pick, and notices something odd, "Hey guys, someone tried to hastily bury something over here I think.
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle d20+14=23 ; Thursday May 25th, 2023 12:02:51 AM
Zeoll looks where Cyrion points. The liontaur puts his sniffer to work. Is there anything special to the smell of it? Perception 23
Asimov is too distracted by that book about the cat too properly scope out the area.
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 d20+9=25 ; d20+7=11 ; Thursday May 25th, 2023 4:08:45 AM
"Oh, I like good stories!" she responds to Delbina as she glances through the book, and hears the cook's synopsis. "Would it be all right with you if I read it after we finish searching? I'll return it, of course."
She smiles - "You're interested too, right, Asimov?"
With Cyrion calling out, she goes to see what he is describing. Arrows... and an area of freshly dug and covered-over dirt. "I like to dig." She pulls a shovel from her bag, and digs, carefully, so as not to harm whatever may be found under the soil.
============== Perception: 25 Survival roll to dig carefully. Well, at least not terribly carelessly: 11
Elron -- SteveM d20+19=20 ; Thursday May 25th, 2023 7:24:10 AM
(Perception = 20)
His friends having the investigating well in hand, Elron keeps his weapon ready and looks for the inevitable trouble that must be coming their way.
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Thursday May 25th, 2023 8:16:25 AM Cyrion is impressed by the book and asks to hold the herbs since he has the skill to use them. He notices the disturbed earth. Zeoll smells it. Asimov is distracted by the puss in boots book. Mundhildur likes stories and asks to borrow/read the book. She digs into the hole. Elron is ready for the inevitable trouble.
After only a few shovels full it becomes clear this is not a hole. It is a tunnel dug up from beneath and filled as someone or something of about small size left the way they came. Only the top few feet are filled before it becomes a small tunnel leading into darkness. Any possible scents that might clue Zeoll in have faded over the month that’s passed since everyone vanished.
Cyrion the Black HP 77/77 AC 19 or 23 CMD: 20 Thursday May 25th, 2023 3:09:31 PM
Cyrion looks into the hole ... "How in the nine hells would anyone have been able to get all the people here into that and no one resist...that's scary..."
Elron -- SteveM Thursday May 25th, 2023 10:28:10 PM
As the smallest of the group, Elron realizes he fits in the tunnel and some of the others may not. "Want me to have a look down there? Anybody got a light?"
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 Friday May 26th, 2023 5:31:42 AM
Mundhildur takes out one of her two ever-burning torches and gives one to Elron. "Here you go. Don't lose it!"
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Friday May 26th, 2023 11:11:21 AM Cyrion wonders how anyone could get all the people into the tiny hole. Asimov wonders about shrinking people Elron is willing to go look Mundhildur passes Elron a ever burning torch.
The small tunnel ranged between 3-5 feet wide and tall. It’s an easy fit for Elron, but a bigger creature would have to crawl. It soon opens up as dirt turns to stone under his feet, with several of the small tunnels all connecting up here. They all lead the same places though - dead ends and collapsed tunnels. It’s actually a pretty short walk, only about 30 feet or so. Perception DC 30 Highlight to display spoiler: { as you get close to the end of the tunnel you spot a small tripwire connected to some sort of crossbow pointed in your general direction. Clearly a trap made by an intelligent enemy. }
Elron -- SteveM d20+19=37 ; Friday May 26th, 2023 11:25:19 AM
(Perception = 37)
Elron explains what he sees -- short, dirt tunnels converging in an area with a stone floor. The tunnels are all collapsed after about thirty feet, and at least one is set with a trap. He tries to describe where they meet relative to where he entered so that folks can see what's above that spot. He also lets them know if he thinks the tunnels go under the fortress wall.
Cyrion the Black HP 77/77 AC 19 or 23 CMD: 20 Sunday May 28th, 2023 3:36:13 AM
Cyrion looks around, and asks, "Do any of the tunnels lead towards the mines?"
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 Sunday May 28th, 2023 5:17:06 PM
"I wonder whether there may not be similar tunnel entrances scattered about the other dwellings that we simply have not yet found," Mundhildur ponders.
When Elron describes the trap, she says, "Perhaps someone who carries a shield can hold it in front of the crossbow. Or - if we decide to try to travel through the tunnels, it might work if we all step carefully over the tripwire."
Asimov inspects the tunnel and then attempts to disable the found trap.
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Monday May 29th, 2023 9:39:30 AM Elron explains what he’s found to the group. Cyrion asks if they head in the general direction of the mines Mundhildur wonders if there are more tunnels and suggests how they can bypass it. Asimov takes the trouble to crawl down there and disarm the trap.
The tunnels shoot off in various directions, several of which could indeed lead to the mines eventually. However with everything collapsed in it’s impossible to say where they might have once lead and it’s also possible that false trails were cut out of the stone to obscure what direction the enemy came from.
The area looks unstable after whatever was done to collapse the tunnels. Trying to tunnel after them would be hard work and dangerous, possibly causing cave ins.
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 d20+9=19 ; Monday May 29th, 2023 6:31:08 PM
"Well, I'm no miner," says the giantess, "but I'll trust your judgment on the wobbliness of the tunnels. Let's check the stables, then the smithy. I wonder if any horses are here."
If there are no objections, she will head toward the stables. Once there, she sees what she can see.
He follows her to the stables keeping an eye out for clues and other odd things (Perception: 33)
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle Monday May 29th, 2023 11:40:30 PM
Zeoll sends Bill the Eagle in with Elron, with orders to protect him.
"Alas, therre is no way I can fit down therre," the liontaur laments.
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 d20+24=40 ; d20=18 ; d8=1 ; Tuesday May 30th, 2023 8:10:39 AM Mundhildur is no miner but trusts the judgment of others in the party. Asimov considers the shape of the tunnels (I see your check, what are you trying to figure out with it?) Zeoll sends Bill down below.
Mundhildur leads the party to the stable. Inside is a gruesome sight. The place did indeed keep horses, about half a dozen. All of them are dead, with their rotting corpses drawing swarms of insects that fill the building. There isn’t too long to dwell on the grim sight though. As the party moves into the building to examine them a shadow in the shape of a horse emerges from the dark corners of the room and strikes out at Mundhildur as she passes, sucking away 1 point of STR.
We are in combat.
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle d20+9=19 ; d6+7=11 ; Tuesday May 30th, 2023 11:43:39 AM
Zeoll starts to inspire courage as a move action and then casts Produce Flame and throws it at the Shadow Horse as a standard action.
Ranged Touch AC with the flame hits AC19 for 11 fire damage.
Everybody in the fight, please add +2 to attacks and damage!
[OOC: To clarify, are some people in the tunnel and some in the stable? Who can fight the Shadow Horse?]
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Tuesday May 30th, 2023 12:49:53 PM
There isn’t really anything else to discover in the tunnel so I’m assuming everyone finishes investigating it then moves on with Mundhildur
Elron -- SteveM d20+14=18 ; d4=1 ; d6=4 ; Tuesday May 30th, 2023 8:05:46 PM "I'll whap it," Elron offers if he's in range. "O' course, if th' fire works on it we could just burn down th' building 'round it. If'n it can't come out into th' sunlight, that is."
Assuming Elron is in range but must move to attack, he makes one attack hitting AC 18 for 1 (weapon) + 4 (electrical) + 1 (magic bonus) = 6 damage.
Asimov fires off a wrist rocket at the shape. 5d4+5 = 21 force damage
Irony tries to slam the shadow (17 vs AC; 12 damage)
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle Tuesday May 30th, 2023 11:43:46 PM
Checking in ...
Zeoll uses his music to encourage everybody.
"We can do it," the bard sings.
Mundhildur Karadottir, Jotun singing giant Lvl 8 (7'4" or 10'5" as needed) (Kim) AC 20 Touch 14 FF18 HP 80/80 d20+6=16 ; d20+6=22 ; 2d8+6=22 ; 2d8+6=16 ; Wednesday May 31st, 2023 7:01:35 AM
Oh [[was supposed to be 1d20+17, not +6, thus Ac 27, AC 33]
Mundhi slams the shadow horse for 22 hp, 16 hp.
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 d20+14=28 ; d20+14=33 ; d20+14=34 ; d20+14=17 ; d8=3 ; d8=2 ; d8=3 ; Wednesday May 31st, 2023 7:23:41 AM
The Twins quickly draw their bow and send a trio of arrows into the enemy (28, 33, and 34 to hit, 13, 12, 13 damage)
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Wednesday May 31st, 2023 7:41:06 AM Zeoll sings to inspire his allies and sends forth some flames. Elron smacks the shadow with his wapping stick. Asimov fires a wrist rocket. Mundhildur defends herself The Twins fire a barrage of arrows.
The shadowy horse seems barely affected by the fire and physical attacks but the wrist rocket seems to really hurt it. So much so that the follow up attacks by Mundhildur and The Twins are able to finish the job. The shadowy horse screams and fades away to nothingness.
With the threat gone the party are able to quickly finish their investigation of the final two buildings. From the minor damage to the stalls on the inside it seems that no one killed the horses - rather with everyone gone they were trapped in the stalls and slowly dehydrated, unable to break out of the sturdy construction. A horrible way to die - enough so to draw that shadow in to feast on the death and misery.
The Smithy is a simple affair. A stone building with a stone forge surrounded by empty worktables and hooks for tools. The tools were found in the toolshed, apparently locked away except with the smith is working. There’s an attached bedroom with simple furnishings, the most notable feature being the large amount of art, mostly of scantily clad humanoids of various species and genders.
With most everywhere being searched the group can now consider all the clues they’ve found.
1.The place seems mostly undamaged and undisturbed. Everything is in it’s place and the vault seems undisturbed. 2.The gates were locked and the keys missing, indicating that someone took the keys with them and locked the fort on their way out. 3.You found Delbina and the Girallon who seem to have been afflicted with some sort of disease or poison that affects them mentally, making it hard for them to concentrate and causing Delbina to be unable to remember anything. 4.You found several places where it seemed people put something down and never came back - the letter and the card game. 5.You found arrows and a tunnel indicating that some person or group dug their way into the prison and a fight happened. 6.The tunnels were dug in such a way that it is impossible to tell which direction the enemy might have come from. Further, Asimov’s engineering expertise tells him that the tunnels were intentionally collapsed in such a way that any attempts to dig them out and follow them to the source is impossible, only causing more and more cave-ins. Add that to the trap that was placed and it is clear an intelligent enemy is responsible for this, not some random monster.
Cyrion the Black HP 77/77 AC 19 or 23 CMD: 20 Wednesday May 31st, 2023 12:50:33 PM
Cyrion does a slow 360 turn, then looks at his friends, "Is there a way to charm or mesmerise the number of people that were here ... that's one thing that makes sense to me based on the clues we found ... especially where the letter and card game was concerned..."
Asimov (18/13/16; 72 HP; CMD 20) and Irony (25/13/22; 40/40 HP; CMD 20; Hardness 4) -- Hugh d20+5=23 ; d20+14=23 ; Wednesday May 31st, 2023 8:42:02 PM
Asimov tries to think if there were any geological surveys or if any part of the camp might contain such information. He'd like to try to cross reference said information with where the tunnels they found came out and see if he can't find a logical explanation as to where the enemy might have come from.
Int: 23 Know: Geography: 23
Elron -- SteveM Wednesday May 31st, 2023 10:31:33 PM "Perhaps the enemy had t' get close before it could mind-whammy folks. Don't see no other point in tunnels," Elron says after little thought on the matter.
Maybe it was a bard, he thinks. But he keeps that to himself. No point in upsetting Zeoll. A dwarven, minin' bard. Well, and his band o' merry men. One dwarf didn't collapse all them tunnels.
Zeoll (AC22, HP73) | Bill the Eagle (AC21, HP58) | Cayzle Wednesday May 31st, 2023 10:36:41 PM
Zeoll is a bit baffled. He looks to his friends for help figuring this out.
Highlight to display spoiler: {OOC: Read the module, bowing out of this part.}
Mitch - The Twins HP: 106/106AC 29/15/27 Thursday June 1st, 2023 8:08:12 AM Cyrion wonders about mesmerizing the entire staff somehow. Asimov wonders about geology. Elron thinks the enemy had to get close before mind whammying people, thus the tunnel. Zeoll is baffled.
Asimov is interested in finding a geological survey, and the best place to look is back at the office with all that paperwork. The island is about 30 miles across and features a variety of landmasses, from a small mountain to forests to swamps. Lots of area’s geology is capable of supporting extensive tunnel networks and mining - it kind of has to for this place to be a proper mine.
If this attack is related to residents of the island, though the paperwork notes no known humanoid civilization here, then it seems likely recent mining activities might be what caused intersection and conflict. The paperwork mentions that dig sites Avernus, Dis, and Erebus have not been in use for a while, while Phlegethon mentions problems with a large four armed mutant ape - that very much sounds familiar. Dig sites Malebolge and Cocytus had vermin problems, probably unrelated, and Stygia and Caina were the current sites of mining before everyone went missing.
Regardless it seems clear that the answers the party seeks will not be found here. A map is scrounged from the office paperwork showing the entire island.
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