First Expedition

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Raven Crowking
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First Expedition

#1 Post by Raven Crowking »

South of the village of Helix lies a vast and lonely moor, where it is often foggy or mist-wreathed, and the wise fear to tread in the night. The locals are aware of the burial mounds half a day's walk onto those moors, and occasionally share folk tales of the dead walking in the mist and riches buried under the ground. They refer to the underground labyrinth as Barrowmaze, and speak of it in tones of hushed dread.

Less than a week ago, a stranger was found upon the Moor Road northeast of the Barrowmaze -- the road that leads to the Town of Wolford several days hence -- a traveller who died with a look of terror on his face, his hands clutching a chain of heavy gold....a chain quickly taken by the Lord's Men, and now locked in some vault deep below Malmourn Keep Folk in Helix believe that chain may well have come from Barrowmaze....and so also the fearful thing that stuck the traveller down.

If the recent death reinforced the danger of the moors in the minds of some, it reinforced as well the legends of vast wealth buried there in the minds of others. Perhaps through dint of courage, cunning, and the grace of the gods, one could rise above the lowly status of peasant in the ancient burial ground.....? Perhaps even grow into a fearsome warrior, or a caster of spells whose name casts a shadow in the minds of lesser folk as great as that of Barrowmaze itself.....?

A number of you have gathered in an attempt to see. Not all of you will survive, surely, but it is hoped that those who do will prosper!

The sun is high as you reach the barrow mounds, having crossed over a lonely stretch of moor. The long walk has given you a chance to talk to each other, and feel each other out. The area of the mounds is ancient, damp, and obscured by mist. Everything is still and eerily quiet. No bird or animal sounds can be heard.

Low stone cairns line the overgrown and broken path, which leads to a large central mound. You can see smaller mounds off the path, in all directions – Many covered with stone doors, a few whose doors are cracked and opened into a jumble of stone, and still more which are completely buried in earth.

The central mound is encircled with standing stones. It’s large stone door rests face down, broken in two, in the long grass of the entranceway. The area is littered with skulls and bones. A foul smell emits from the interior of the mound and the darkness beyond is black as night.

ragboy
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Re: First Expedition

#2 Post by ragboy »

"Borisu!" Arkadios said. "Come here, boy!"

The little sheep dog dodged back to its master. Arkadios knelt and rubbed the dog's chin.

"Doesn't look safe for dog or man," he muttered.

"Nor pig," Eadgar, the dwarf growled. He kicked his pig and whistled. The animal snorted and ran back toward the village on stumpy legs.

"All that smells evil, is," Meirion intoned, rattling the bag of river stones on his belt nervously. "Surely the spirits of this earth will protect us." The halfling crept forward and peered at the main opening. Toed a shattered skull with his foot.

Sean Bedwyr leaned on his pitchfork, chewing a wad of grass like the sheep he'd left back on the farm. He spat between his feet and chewed some more.

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Raven Crowking
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Re: First Expedition

#3 Post by Raven Crowking »

Looking inward, the halfling could see a broad, shallow stair that led a short distance to a larger space within. The steps are littered with old bones and clods of foul-smelling earth.

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Re: First Expedition

#4 Post by Lord Zack »

John Parsnip and his old friend Thordek, the dwarven blacksmith follow Meiron closely, weapons (such as they are) out to strike down any monsters that might exit the mound the halfling is checking. Char the Red and Alexatros the elf hang back, alert to any threats that might materialize.

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Raven Crowking
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Re: First Expedition

#5 Post by Raven Crowking »

Thus far, all is quiet.

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caveman
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Re: First Expedition

#6 Post by caveman »

Aguero the Guild Beggar, Tevez the Cobbler, Silva the Hunter and Huddlestone the Halfling creep up on the scene. Silva passes around his deer pelt bladder full of last winter's applejack. "You might go blind, but then the monsters can't see you, so I hear," he whispers, then strings his shortbow and notches an arrow.
Tevez clutches his awl in wobbly terror.
Aguero is cool, lazily swinging his sling.
Huddlestone brandishes a shortsword and steps forward toward the mound.
Knave: Cedric the Defrauded Outlaw
Level 1 HP 8 Armor Defense 12
Str 11 Dex 11 Con 13 Int 13 Wis 14 Cha 12
(sinewy broken-faced but rosy cheeked, oily pompador, frayed tunic, courteous manner, but irascible tendencies, and squeaky voiced)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13hM ... sp=sharing

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Raven Crowking
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Re: First Expedition

#7 Post by Raven Crowking »

The stairs remain unchanged. Mist rises from the ground. Somewhere within, a rat chitters in the dark.

Luka, Lovely Goddess of Courage and Luck, stirs across distances unknown and unknowable to mortal men, prepared to turn her wheel and dictate your fate.

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Re: First Expedition

#8 Post by jferngler »

Toothy Herman grinned at Girt and Avery, his mouth full of slim yellow teeth, more than Girt had ever seen on any other person in his short life. Herman shot his elbow into Girt’s ribs playfully.

“So the future IS a pit, boys!” the old man exulted, belly laughing until he started coughing. He worked a wad of pleghmy spit around and spat.

“Quiet, you old fool,” Maurice Moncassel whispered furiously. “We want the treasure of these tombs, not to forever join the dead in them.” The little halfling looked at the others gathered around or near the mouth of the mound, and spat as well. “Let these ones go in first,” he said quietly.

Toothy Herman ignored the gypsy, though. Stomping up to the mouth of the tomb, he leaned his head in and hollered, “Des-tiny! Oh, des-tiny!” and went back to laughing.

Girt felt a nauseous twist in his guts. Avery’s face looked paler than usual, and Girt fought the sick grimace that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He put his hand reassuringly on his sheepdog, Giant. The dog moved restlessly under his hand, whining softly. What had they gotten themselves into?

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Raven Crowking
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Re: First Expedition

#9 Post by Raven Crowking »

Toothy Herman's voice echoes uncannily from the space below.

The moor seems to hold its foetid breath.

Lord Zack
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Re: First Expedition

#10 Post by Lord Zack »

"Well, if we're going in, then let's do it." says John Parsnip, "We should figure out what order we're going in. I volunteer for the first rank and I think Thordek here will guard the rear." he waits for Thordek's affirmative reply then continues, "We should have anyone who is more vulnerable in the middle, with the others protecting them, in back and front." He then observes the passage to see how many can fit abreast.

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Re: First Expedition

#11 Post by thogard »

Old Jathy casts a dull yet wary eye at the dark opening. "Might cut up a hen first. Tell sooth." This earns a grin from the willowy girl beside him, who has been idly winding a coil of rope around her staff.

"Pora, don't pay any attention to his nonsense," hisses imperious and graying Nyryk. She draws herself even more rigidly erect. "The ancient knowledge and power we shall find within are to be seized by will and strength, not puzzled out via blind superstition. Ikomus, are you ready?"

The neatly dressed halfling, appearing winded from his climb up to the mound, adjusts his sword at his belt and gives a scowling nod to the group in general. "Let's get started. You two stay close to protect me."

Jathy ponders a moment. "No hen?"

ragboy
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Re: First Expedition

#12 Post by ragboy »

"Light," Meirion croaked, surprised at the old man's shout. "We'll need light. Do we have a lantern or brand?"

Sean Bedwyr ran a rheumy eye over the collected rabble and spat.

The rest of the halfling's party shook their heads and looked around.

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caveman
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Re: First Expedition

#13 Post by caveman »

Tevez lights a torch and steps into the darkness. Very carefully, peering around at floor, walls and ceiling.
Huddlestone follows with his sword drawn. Also peering.
Aguero and Silva follow in the back ranks. Arrows and stones at ready.
Knave: Cedric the Defrauded Outlaw
Level 1 HP 8 Armor Defense 12
Str 11 Dex 11 Con 13 Int 13 Wis 14 Cha 12
(sinewy broken-faced but rosy cheeked, oily pompador, frayed tunic, courteous manner, but irascible tendencies, and squeaky voiced)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13hM ... sp=sharing

ragboy
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Re: First Expedition

#14 Post by ragboy »

Meirion brings out his sling and a river rock. He kisses the hexdoll sewn onto the front of his flowing linen shirt. "By the Night Queen, let me find what I seek."

He waits as Eadger and Arkadios (Borisu at his heel) move in behind the others. Sean Bedwyr watches each person go into the darkness, one by one, spits and follows the group in, muttering to himself.

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Re: First Expedition

#15 Post by Raven Crowking »

caveman wrote:Tevez lights a torch and steps into the darkness.
Across far distance planes, Luka the Lovely spins her wheel, and grants Tevez +1 Luck for going first.

(In the full version of the game, this does not affect the bonus to Tevez's "lucky roll", but it affects every other use of Luck, and can be burned to gain a +1 bonus to attacks, saves, or skill checks.)

Past the broken stone door to the mound, which lies on its face in two pieces, the short staircase leads inward and down. Below, you can make out a large chamber, perhaps 60 feet in diameter, its high ceiling supported by four huge square columns. Near the centre of this space, there is what appears to be a large iron tripod, placed over a hole in the floor. A rope is suspended from the tripod with block and tackle, going into a hole in the floor.

There are bones along the floor, as well as the occasional loose stone. There are bones scattered within here as well as without, and the place stinks of decay. You see no sign of any other exit.

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Re: First Expedition

#16 Post by thogard »

Nyryk strides impatiently into the darkness, following the others. Her eyes dance (as best they can in the gloom) across every torchlit surface, searching for meaning.

Old Jathy enters next, quick despite his obvious age, drawn dagger tracing circles in the air.

Ikomus is close behind, his short sword held steady before him in both scarred hands.

Pora, with another grin and a barely-suppressed urge to whistle, swings her staff onto her shoulder and ambles along in the rear.

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Re: First Expedition

#17 Post by Raven Crowking »

No strange creatures appear to attack those who have entered the mound, although the shadows flicker and the rats flee the torchlight, hiding in corners or disappearing through tiny holes between the unmortared stones.

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Re: First Expedition

#18 Post by thogard »

"Bones!" Jathy cries with joy. "I say the sooth! What do you tell me, bones?" He peers intently at the scattered remains.

Nyryk leans back and examines the ceiling and its supporting pillars.

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Re: First Expedition

#19 Post by ragboy »

Meirion, Eadger and Arkadios stick close together, circumnavigating the room, examining the walls, floor and ceiling for anything interesting. Eadger pokes through the bones with his staff.


Sean Bedwyr stops at the entrance to the room, hocks out the wad of grass in his cheek and replaces it with another wad.

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Re: First Expedition

#20 Post by Raven Crowking »

There are rat droppings, some fallen stones and similar bits of rubble, as well as clods of earth here and there. The floor is stone, but it is covered by a thin layer of earth, and you can see the marks of booted feet going from the entrance to the hole and back again -- many times, or many people.

The bones appear to have been dragged from graves. Several of them have been gnawed by rats, or by worse things.

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