Chapter 5: The Doom That Came to Briarsgate

[Inferno]

Day Four
Village of Briarsgate
The Gades' Farmhouse
Late Evening. Wednesday, October 19th, 576 CY
Cold, rain, mist





The adventurers encounter a chilling sight at the Gade family farmhouse (19). The home is invaded and ravaged, and the Gades missing. They find no clues there as to their whereabouts, nor the identities of their assailants.

The heroes retreat from that disturbing scene to seek refuge in a nearby abandoned barn, trusting the counsel of a fair stranger, newly met. They quietly move south on the muddy, shadowed lanes of Briarsgate, under cover of rain, mist and darkness.

• 

  SE Briarsgate Map.jpg (137.82 KiB) Viewed 1522 times

They pass many of the properties that the Gades told them about earlier that day, their voices still echoing in their minds.

• • A Farmhouse and Barn (18) that seems moderately prosperous and well-kept. All is dark and quiet.
    • "The widow Hochstedt’s spread. Her husband also disappeared this year. After 24 years of marriage. She’ll not speak of it. Nor will her three grown sons who live with her."

    An Abandoned Building (16). The doors and windows of this large, battered and weatherbeaten building are boarded up. A sign lies face down in the weeds before the broken porch. The roof has several holes.
    
    
    • “The old Foaming Mug Inn. A dozen townsfolk were found murdered there one morning, including the proprietor. A sword fight. But no one ever discovered the reason. Those people were friends and neighbors! The building’s been abandoned ever since. A year now, I reckon.”

    The Blacksmith (15). The dark shop is open to the smithy's forge.
    • "Poor old Jakob Smith. He's been out of his right mind for… coming on almost 10 months now. It happened suddenly and without cause."

    The Carpenter’s Shop (14). A saw-shaped sign hangs before this well-constructed building. The front part of the house is unwalled. The shop is closed for the night.

They reach the Decrepit Farmhouse and Barn (17). Doors and shutters swing freely here, and the surrounding grounds are choked by weeds.

• “The Book family's place. A whole family up and left without a word. They were our good friends. No warning. Just gone. This was nine months ago. Never heard from any of them since. We don't know where they went.”

The adventurers are soaked to the skin from the storm, and the temperature continues to drop. Their horses need to be dried, fed and watered. They enter the barn and see dark, abandoned desolation.








Actions?





Status:
Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/1: AC 7, HP 9/9, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 4, HP 1/10, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl. Groggy (-2 to hit)
Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 2: AC 4, HP 1/17
Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 3, HP 6/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 14/16, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl. Very groggy (-4 to hit)
Long Bo, Human Druid 2: AC 6, HP 5/15, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl and 0/2 2nd lvl
Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 2/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 2: AC 0, HP 15/19 Groggy (-2 to hit)

Magic:
Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.


Map of Briarsgate
NPC List for Briarsgate

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis, Gnome Fighter

"I'll volunteer for first watch, who'll watch with me? You more injured people should get some rest first." says Telkis. He'll get out his bow and positions himself in the shadows looking out the large door to the North. He'll avoid closing any open shutters or doors, or opening any closed ones, so that from the outside the barn will look exactly as it did before they entered. He'll also look around for any field mice or other burrowing creatures that might help with the watch by positioning themselves around the perimeter. He's willing to trade a bit of his rations for any assistance.

I checked. Field mice are burrowers... (who knew!?)

[dmw71]

"I am in good health, and the least in need of sleep, so I will stand watch with you," Avril volunteers, nodding to her new gnomish companion. "If you'll find my offer acceptable."

"Pelias," she quietly calls to the heavily wounded knight. "A word before you turn in," she says, moving to his side before he has a chance to respond. "Corellon has provided me many blessings. Blessings which should not go to waste. With your permission --" she produces her ornate silver holy symbol from beneath the cover of her leather armor and begins to recite a prayer, touching the man lightly on his shoulder.

I don't know if the player or DM rolls for 'cure light wounds' results? In the event I do, here is my roll:

CLW on Pelias: [1d8] = 7

She smiles knowingly as she senses the vitality returning to her new friend. "Now, get some much needed rest." she says in as soothing a voice possible.

Turning to examine the rest of the weary travelers, she looks for any others in obvious need for her restorative powers when her eyes catch a glimpse of Grothnak, whose pride would almost certainly prevent him from requesting it. She approaches him without hesitation. "Shhh," she says, anticipating a protest. "Your caution is admirable, as is your protective instinct when it comes to protecting your companions," she says. Touching the half-orcs shoulder, she repeats her prayer and calls for Corellon's strength.

CLW on Grothnak: [1d8] = 8

She, somewhat teasingly, attempts to return the same un-reassuring semblance of a smile Grothnak flashed at her earlier, but is largely unsuccessful. She starts to turn to seek out another new companion in need, then quickly turns back to the pig-nosed brute. "Oh, I came from Shiboleth, from the east." she says. "I could have told you to avoid the Dim Forest... but would you have listened?" she says jokingly; humor, she's sure, will be missed.

"Anyone else?" she asks. "I can provide aide once more this night."


Once she has exhausted the last of her healing capabilities, she will place her pack and other non-essential possessions in an area of soft straw, near Pelias, then seek out a vantage point to cover the areas not covered by Telkis.

[Zhym]

Grothnak stands up straighter and grimaces—well, less—at the cleric's touch. A flash of recognition appears in his eyes when he notices her holy symbol.

"Thank you," he says, bowing his head for a moment. "I see my suspicion was not needed. An enemy may fake friendship, but only one of true faith can use a god's holy symbol to heal. Welcome. May our doom be lessened by your presence."

With that, Grothnak settles in for a night's rest.

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser gathers up any hay he can find for cushion, and if the loft is sound, settles in for rest. He curses Nigauble ten different ways before sleep comes.

[Fulci]

Ingrid Esthof, cleric

Ingrid feels awfully tired. But beforehand, they still have many concerns. Are they well hidden in the barn? Obviously, they made sure while coming through the weeds to not leave many traces (and the rain helps, too).

Ingrid watches Avril doing her magic: it's almost as if she could see the healing energy flowing from the half-elf's palm. She's also a bit... jealous. But then she remembers, that her powers helped her companions greatly today already. Except for one, whose body is now lying on the barn's dirty floor.

"Here, let me pour some life in you," she turns to the Mouser and concentrates her last energies on healing him.

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 4

"If you aren't feeling well enough, maybe Lady Avril can help some more."

She proceeds to dry her horse - not an easy task, given that everything is almost totally wet. Feeds Then she, finally, has a bite to eat (she shares with anybody) and prepares to rest. "I'll be ready for watch-duty as well... just let me get some sleep first."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo finds a spot for himself in the dark barn as he watches the interaction of the others. He admires the newcomers powers of healing and wishes he himself had more to offer his heavily injured friends.

He takes off his robes, hanging them along with his other possessions over the stalls to dry.

"I must also spend some time communing with the great Obad-Hai to replenish my powers. I can sleep for a bit and then take a watch if it suits the party".

[dmw71]

Avril's attention is captured after hearing Ingrid mention the one she called Mouser may still be in need of assistance. Trusting Corellon will bestow upon her the power to heal once more, she continues her rounds and, placing her hand softly on the fellow elf's shoulder, she begins quietly praying for her deities blessing.

CLW on Grey Mouser: [1d8] = 6

"This should help," she says calmly. "Now, get some rest."

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

The desolate barn does not quell the noises coming from Hoom's belly. The elf chooses in an empty stall and settles down for the night. He uses the surrounding debris to create a shield from the wind that blows through the cracks of the dilapidated barn. He drops his pack and removes his leather armor allowing the crumbled pieces of paper to fall upon the dirt floor. He lays his armor up right along his make shift wind shield for added protection and gathers the fallen papers. He then opens his pack and removes his bullseye lantern and his dinner for the night, hard tack. He lights his lantern and opens the shade so a small beam shines upon himself. He sits and reads each piece of parchment while noshing away on his dinner, hoping to find an advantage to the situation at hand. As Hoom reads he occasionally looks over to where Mouser has bedded for the night. Mouser unanswered question back in the barn, which Hoom ignored, luckily was not pressed forward by Mouser or the others. The secrets on the parchment will remain his for now. Though come morning inquires might come again, but hopefully any useful information with be his sole property.

OOC: The wind shield purpose is also to block the light from Hoom's lantern from leaking outside the barn and giving away their presence.

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, thief

"Thank you Ingrid and Avril for your divine healings," says Mouser. "You are truly one with your gods. I'm not sure mine even knows who I am."

[Inferno]

Day Four
An Abandoned Barn, Village of Briarsgate
Night. Wednesday, October 19th, 576 CY
Cold, rain, mist





The cold, wet, wounded adventurers follow Avril Hollysword through the rainy night to the seeming refuge of a dark, forlorn, abandoned, Decrepit Barn (17).
They settle in among the shadows, hay and sawdust, and briefly share with each other what information they have.

... I will presume.
All characters now have full knowledge of the events of Chapters 3a, 3b and 4, including these useful player summaries:

• Map of Briarsgate
  NPC List for Briarsgate

Ingrid and Mouser tend to their horses.
Avril and Ingrid heal Mouser, Pelias and Grothnak with their holy blessings.
Telkis walks outside into the rainy night and finds the withered crops infested with fat field mice. They flee at his approach, scurrying to safe vantage points from where they watch him cautiously. Seeing the months-long feast of abandoned crops these lucky mice have enjoyed, Telkis realizes his dried rations won't be incentive enough for the diurnal animals to stay awake all night, and that he'll need another method to enlist their aid.

Long Bo hangs his possessions over the stall wall to dry. (Armor too?) The druid gazes out at the tumultuous heavens and can tell that the rain will end this night.

As the others rest, Avril and Telkis take the first watch.

What is the watch schedule, please?
Are the watch positions inside the barn? Outside the barn? Both?
Telkis: please roll 1d20. Thanks.

Hoom finds an empty stall in which to build a nest. By a thin sliver of lantern light, he secretly reviews the parchment pages he stole from Bertram Beswill's desk. He alone sees that they are financial papers. Some purport to be bookkeeping records of the Golden Grain Inn. Reading them, it's apparent that the inn isn't a real, functioning business. Another paper is a deed. It seems that Bertram Beswill recently purchased an inn in the capital city of Hookhill.





Status:
Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/1: AC 7, HP 9/9, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 4, HP 10/10, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl. Groggy (-2 to hit)
Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 2: AC 4, HP 9/17
Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 3, HP 6/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 14/16, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl. Very groggy (-4 to hit)
Long Bo, Human Druid 2: AC 6, HP 5/15, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl and 0/2 2nd lvl
Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 9/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 2: AC 0, HP 15/19 Groggy (-2 to hit)

Magic:
Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.


Map of Briarsgate
NPC List for Briarsgate

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis shakes his head in frustration with the mice, like a parent with a misbehaving child. "Cheeky little buggers. Just wait till you need our help..." he mutters. Still, he can't stay mad at them, the cute little guys. He settles in for his watch, armor on.

[Inferno]

Day Four
An Abandoned Barn, Village of Briarsgate
Late Night. Wednesday, October 19th, 576 CY
Cold, rain, mist





The adventurers, weary of body and spirit, seek refuge in an abandoned Decrepit Barn (17) on the edge of Briarsgate.

Telkis joins Avril on first watch. The gnome warrior holds his bow and positions himself in the shadows looking out the large door to the North. He avoids closing the two big open doors so that from the outside, the barn looks exactly as it did before they entered. The door in the barn's eastern wall remains shut. Avril takes up position near the open, southern door, facing part of the withered cornfield.





The rest of the party gets some much needed rest. The rain eventually stops but the fog remains and the light of the harvest moon diffuses across the thick cloud cover.



Eventually, Avril hears Telkis snoring. The groggy gnome is still affected by his poisoning at the Golden Grain Inn. Avril rouses him and he's able to stay awake to complete their watch. Avril and Telkis awaken the two undrugged warriors (so that the wizards and priests in their number can recover their spells faster) and retire for the evening.

Grothnak and Pelias stand guard in the dark barn while the others sleep. They near the end of their watch when suddenly...



SKRASH!! SKRAASH!!

Glass bottles of oil, stuffed with flaming rags, fly through the open barn doors! SKRASH! FWOOM! Upon impact, the bottles shatter and the oil bursts into flames, spraying fire in a 3' radius! Neither Grothnak nor Pelias are hit; they may not have even been targeted. But four sudden bonfires rage inside the dry barn! Bright flames crackle hungrily, spewing black, choking smoke.

Many more flaming bottles crash against the barn's exterior and the ground outside. Most of them extinguish immediately from the rainwater, but not all. By their trajectories, the warriors believe the attackers are east of the doors, in or near the cornfield.

The sleeping adventurers awaken from the sound of broken glass, and the angry shouts of Grothnak and Pelias!

Actions!

Barn Burner 1.jpg (268.31 KiB) Viewed 1415 times

DM Notes:

Map: Each square is 5 feet.

Casters have gotten 4 hours of sleep. But they’ve not had the chance to study or pray for spells yet.
Natural daily healing of 1 hp occurs at dawn. As does the restoration of Pelias’ laying on hands.
Ingrid and Mouser get over 4 hours of sleep, and their grogginess is reduced.

Rolls:
[1d20] = 16 Telkis fails his Con save and the groggy gnome passes out.
Grothnak: [1d100] = 21 Grothnak just misses his 15% chance to hear noise.
Pelias: [1d100] = 57 Pelias misses his 10% chance to hear noise.
Party Surprised? [1d6] = 1 Yes.
Attacks: [1d20] = 6, [1d20] = 9, [1d20] = 1, [1d20] = 18 One fumble, one hit.
Attacks: [1d20] = 1, [1d20] = 18, [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 15 One fumble, two hits.
Attacks: [1d20] = 11, [1d20] = 5, [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 9 One hits.
Fumble results: [1d8] = 3, [1d8] = 4 Off-balance and Slip.
Fumble: Dex save or fall: [1d20] = 16 Fails and slips.

Status:
Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/1: AC 7, HP 9/9, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 4, HP 10/10, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl. Slightly groggy (-1 to hit)
Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 2: AC 4, HP 9/17
Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 3, HP 6/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 14/16, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl. Groggy (-2 to hit)
Long Bo, Human Druid 2: AC 6, HP 5/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl and 0/2 2nd lvl
Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 9/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 2: AC 0, HP 15/19 Groggy (-2 to hit)

Magic:
Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.


Map of Briarsgate
NPC List for Briarsgate

[dmw71]

The sound of the commotion rouses Avril from the slumber she just fell into. Groggy, she begins to rub the sleep from her eyes and is about to complain about the interruption when the scent of a fresh fire penetrates her nostrils, jolting her awake. She springs to her feet and quickly attempts to determine whether the threat is immediate, or if she has time to hastily don her simple leather armor. Either way, after confirming her sword is strapped at her hip, she brings her bow to her right hand and an arrow to her left while focusing her attention outside the barn to the south, and east, nearest the stall she had been resting in. She crouches low and nocks an arrow, hoping the fire raging inside the barn doesn't interfere with her ability to spot any heat signatures with her infravision outside.

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

Rudely woken from his sleep, Hoom quickly gathers any of his loose possession (lantern, papers, and/or food) and stuffs them in his backpack without the normal care and precision he usually takes. With his oddly packed backpack he then turns to his arms and armor, quickly donning them. As he straps his leather protection on he scans the walls, looking for weak spots for which he could break down and escape through if necessary.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis awakens, still groggy, from his half-nap. "Aw, fer crying out...!" he exclaims as he scrambles out of his stall, grabbing Cranach and his bow. He glances North, then South quickly, gauging the severity of the bonfires in either direction. "Someone help me!" he cries. Assuming there are abandoned implements lying around (pitchforks and such) he will grab one and attempt to push the burning straw to the North out the North door and onto the rain soaked ground.

If this doesn't instantly seem to be working (what are the chances? ) he'll instead scoop up a mass of burning, oily hay and run out the North door, turning immediately East, hugging the wall at first, making a mad dash for the field in an attempt to throw the fire into the unharvested crops/villager cover. As he leaves the barn he'll yell back to the others. "I'll distract them and draw their fire! Get out of here!"

I'm not usually one for rash action, but this doesn't seem like a situation where we can pick them off from cover - eventually we'll have to exit the barn and get shot at or whatever. It seems better to try to seize the initiative right away and possibly turn the tables. I hope this doesn't prove to be the dumbest thing I ever did. Hoping that Telkis' armor will absorb most of the inevitable projectiles. And hoping they've already used up all their fire bombs...

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo awakens fully rested and completely alert, thanks to a long life of sleeping in the dangers of the forest where he needed to sleep with one eye open most of the time.

He instinctively collects his possessions and armor and moves north, away from the fire that is closest to him.

By the time he figures out what is going on he is actually relieved that the enemy is outside this time.

He moves to the door and helps Telkis throw the burning hay out. Using the inside of the doorway as best he can for cover, he begins to scan the cornfields outside for any sign of a group that may be bunched up.

If you see a group of them, let me know! I still have a bit of magic that I can use to restrain a few of them.

The barn is soaking wet from the rain! We should have some time to escape if we have to, but lets try to take a few of them out first if we can!

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, thief

A dreaming Mouser sits by a smoky fire eating roasted villager meat and drinking poison.

"Would you like a beating with that sir?" the bar maid asks. 'It comes free with the fire."

"Aye, well done, please."

Someone is yelling. Mouser awakens to the smell of smoke. He rolls over and up, gathers his belt and pack and surveys the situation.

Regretting that he still has yet to learn bowmanship, Mouser draws out his sling and crouches in the shadows outside the stall where his horse is.

"We need to get out of here!" Mouser yells.

[Zhym]

If Grothnak can make it around the fire in the south part of the barn, he'll try to roll a rain barrel into the barn and tip it over to put out the fires near the south entrance.

[Fulci]

Ingrid Esthof, cleric

Ingrid is torn out of her deep, dreamless sleep by the tumult. She needs a few seconds to assess where she is and what's going on. Her companions are running in all the directions, it seems. The barn isn't a feasible fortress, they have to evacuate, fight their way through the invisible attackers, and find a new place to hide.

She runs into the next stall, where Vodarte's body is. Desperate times call for desperate measures. She kneels down, places her right palm on his forehead, and whispers the quickest of prayers, blessings and funerary rites in a single bundle... One that she finds fitting for the passing of a brave ranger during a siege.
May you find the swiftest path to the Netherworld... and Trithereon and all the gods will greet you there.



Now she is ready to leave Vodarte's body behind. She slings all her belonging onto her horse.

She sees Grothnak hauling a barrel into the barn (or intending to): "Let the barn burn... we should break through and regroup somewhere else," she says to her companions.

"My magic can stop a few attackers as well," she adds.