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'Blackjack' Amistad

"We met some centaur folk deep in the northern forests, among other crazy critters. Walking trees of all the damnable things!" he says has the group set off again with the burly beefcake.

(Making an assumption here...)
Looking at the two-wheeled cart and the rough cross-country trek ahead, the group realizes it will be slow-going without a road. It will take a full day's travel to cross the eight miles north to the Kobold Tower, so best to wait until the morning.

After spending a comfortable night with the badger at the Meetinghouse, the group sets out the next morning with the dawn. The group minds the cart as Chocolate bounces it over the rough ground at a slow walk. Taking care in doing so, they ensure the cart arrives undamaged, which it does, as the sun dips towards the horizon.

Finally as the sun sets, you see an ancient stone tower, thousands of years old - of age with the earlier foundations you saw - and in disrepair, tumble-down stonework dispelling any intimidation it might provide. Most of the roof remains intact, repaired within the past few decades at least. The tower looks cold and lonely there to your north, its door closed, no smoke rising from the chimney into the gloomy, overcast sky. You see one outbuilding attached to the base of the tower on its west side and know another lies opposite on its northside as well. A grassy clearing with a few unkempt potato fields surrounds the tower, clear of trees out as far as a set of surrounding buildings, and just beyond them. A long stables sits a distance out from the tower to the west. A squat sawmill and a long, partially-collapsed pavilion stand to the northeast. Beyond them, the dark and ominously-overgrown forest surrounds to the north and northeast.

Date: 10:00pm, 17 July 2021
Light: Fading sunset
Distance: eight miles today
Injuries: None

Rhybek says in low tones, "We cleared the kobolds outta that tower already. Maybe it's still empty. Maybe it's not. But it might not be a bad idea to establish the tower as a base of operations again so we had a safe place to sleep. We marked the trap locations pretty well, so we should be able to make our way to the tower, if you want to start there, Blackjack."

In the event that the traps have been hidden again, Clay offers to use his divine powers to locate traps again. He asks Maurice to carefully scout the tower for signs of inhabitants. He warns the owl about the strange, flying beasts he has been told about, making sure the owl returns to the group at the first sign of trouble.

Clay sends Maurice the owl up to peek into the windows of the upper tower level. The tiny owl hoots in response and wings up into the sky, circling the stone edifice. As he glides close to the darkened windows, there is a cacophony of honking and hissing within and a purple-scaled swan with short horns and leathery bat wings bursts forth, pursuing the pygmy owl in a frenzied dash around the building. The owl manages to escape and returns to the party, panting. Though redundant, it hoots to Clay that the upper level of the tower is presently occupied as a nesting ground.

The sun drops below the southern mountain peaks, the ruddy reds of sunset like blood across the cloudy sky.

Date: 10:10pm, 17 July 2021
Light: Fading Twilight (-2 penalty)
Distance: eight miles today
Injuries: None

To Maurice: Clay asks whether the party wishes to sleep outdoors or try to secure a bottom level of the tower.

How fast do we travel? Draft horse pulling a cart even cross country must be more than one mile per hour?

Amistad who came principally for the winch salvage suggests we use the tower and make it a secure place. Where can I stable the horse safely or best to tie him to the door post and gave a guard on watch outside.

The rules for horses and carts are here:
viewtopic.php?f=353&t=5467&p=245719#p245719

The book says carts can't go cross-country at all. House rules say that cross-country the cart is same as a sledge (when it hits a road, it is twice as fast as a sledge.) So,
that means it is .5mph. The good news is that the way back with up to 800lbs is just as fast.

Rhybek let you know that they brought the mounts into the bottom floor of the tower with them for safety last time. There is a stables off to the west, though, and two sheds/outbuildings attached to the base of the tower, if desired.

Clay immediately thinks of going in alone. He knows the hybrid animal should react better to him, and he could go up and cast a holding spell. Then he remembers. Rhybek, are there stairs in the tower, or is it ladders? Because I can't do ladders. when he knows it is ladders, he suggests they approach as a group for the intimidation factor.

Clarabelle, that hybrid is unnatural. It's okay to end its life and prevent it from breeding. Clay wonders if Maurice might want to be enlarged to hunt the creature, but decides against it. Maurice is not a warrior and it is unlikely he would kill for sport. Natural creatures are good that way.


The chief morlock's name is going to be Monsanto, isn't it?

And Clay will cast Find Traps as they approach the tower.

Clay shuffles about in the tall grasses, positioning markers to indicate several cleverly concealed pit traps around the tower.

What's the action? You going in the tower? To an outbuilding?

Amistad and Achaedany

we can go into the tower with the others.

Were the previous party's markers gone, or are these in addition to those?

Clay states his preference is to head to the tower and try and secure it for the night.

"Okay," says Lug.

Rusty Tincanne wrote:Were the previous party's markers gone, or are these in addition to those?

Same traps. Your markers are temporary, so I'm counting it as just being redone.

In that case:
Does anyone have an objection to just triggering these traps? Less of a chance of hurting ourselves if we do. But we lose their protection.

After Clay marks the pit traps around the tower, the group makes their way to the front door. The door latch opens easily and they swing open the wooden door to peer inside.

You find the goods left by the previous expedition still collected and organized on the ground floor:

• 10 empty barrels
• 6 barrels of salt fish
• 10 human roundshields
• 20 kobold spears
• 20 leather slings

The group opening the door, however, disturbs the mass of furry rats, almost two dozen of them, who go scurrying and squealing to escape from you as the door is opened.


Date: 10:20pm, 17 July 2021
Light: Fading Twilight (-2 penalty)
Distance: eight miles today
Injuries: None

Rhybek steps out of the way and lets the rats leave in peace, if that is what they chose to do...

"As long as the traps are set, and we know where they are, they might be useful to have in place..."

Allowing the rats to skitter off safely. He follows the others into the tower, then suggests heading to the upper levels. I'll need help, of course.

The rats skitter out safely, though with irate chittering. The dead kobolds upon which they were feasting lie in a mess of flesh-and-bone-scraps on the stone floor. Otherwise, however, the bottom floor of the tower is dark and quiet. The humans have difficulty seeing as the last rays of the sun fade outside, and even fewer trickle within the closed space.

Achaedany stands, holding Chocolate's bridle outside. "You want me to unhook this cart and bring the horse in?" she asks.

The ladder remains intact, the trapdoor to the floor above open, no movement or sound noted there at this time.

Date: 10:30pm, 17 July 2021
Light: Fading Twilight (-3 penalty)
Distance: eight miles today
Injuries: None

Rhybek nods. "I'll help. Cleared 'em out of the stinkin' kobolds before. But doesn't look like anything of any intelligence has been here yet since these weapons and food are still here."

Mmmmmm... salt fish.