Chapter 17: The Thing in the Woods

[SocraticLawyer]

To the rabbit, Urdur says, "Hello again! I have some more beef jerky here, if you would like some." He holds out a bit of jerky from his rations for the rabbit. If the rabbit approaches and takes the food, Urdur asks, "say, have you seen a young human child out here? Or anything out of the ordinary?"

Regardless of the rabbit's response, Urdur follows Ingrid into the woods. "If we need to draw the monster out, I have magic that can make me appear to be a small human child. It doesn't last long, maybe 10 minutes or so, but if we feel we are getting close, then it might be worth trying to bait the creature."

[Rusty Tincanne]

Hothhil will also follow Brevos and Ingrid. When Urder states he can look like a small, human child, he does his best to give the gnome the benefit of the doubt. What a strange spell...

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo knows that the trail will be as dead as the monsters at the bottom of the swamp within a few minutes once the snow really starts to fall. He decides to let the others search anyway, despite his completely accurate warning about the amount of snow coming this way.

He smiles when he sees the gnomes speaking with the rabbit he has found for them, always finding it cute how easily their race can communicate with mother earths borrowing friends. He decides to continue the questioning on another possible witness as well.

He moves to the black goat, petting it as he tries to calm the animal. Making sure it wont offend any of the zealot parishioners, he quietly casts another of his minor prayers. Speak With Animals

Speaking softly into the goats ear, he begins his inquiry.

"Hello there strong friend, my name is Bo and I have a few questions for you if you don't mind."

"Your humans have a small child that has gone missing. I am sure you can sense their sorrow over it, yes? We are going to help them find her, but we need help. Did you see anything out here the night she went missing? Were there any unwholesome creatures around here lately? Any chance you got a good look at whoever was responsible?"

Edit: Once the druid sees that everyone is now going along with the ranger, he too will join the group once his conversation with the goat is over.

[Urson]

Pyotr

Seeing that some of his companions are determined to get dead in the blizzard, Pyotr goes with them, hacking a blaze on trees as he passes to try and mark a trail back.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis also speaks to Urdur’s rabbit friend: “Perhaps, even if you didn’t see anything you may have heard something unusual? Or perhaps another rabbit acquaintance has seen or heard something? I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name. I’m Telkis,” he says.

[rredmond]

Making sure his sling is near at hand, Rudolph shakes his head. "What have we gotten ourselves into," he murmurs.
It sounds like most of the party is heading into the woods, Rudolph, somewhat reluctantly follows. He keeps to the shadows, sling ready, as they move.

[AleBelly]

Mondegreen will attempt to buy a cloak from John Mantle - he is not well-equipped for a cold, night time excursion as he takes the doll from him. "Mercy, yes, I will remember the name. She's very well-crafted." He tenderly places the doll in his backpack. Added to inventory

Whether or not he is able to procure a coat, he draws his robe about him, Umbra nestled deeply in its largest pocket. He follows the others, staff in one hand and unlit torch in the other, his flint and steel ready in his pouch.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser looks at the increasingly falling snow "We go a little ways then turn back..."

[Inferno]

The Ashblood Colony, The Shadow of the Wooded Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day One. Nightfall. Saturday, November 12th, 576 CY
Overcast, cold, flurries





In search of the whispered source of the ancient evil that plagued poor Briarsgate, the heroes encounter what might be distant echoes of such evil, a week away from their final destination.

At the humble homestead of the Mantle family...



...Telkis and Urdur the gnomes introduce themselves to a watchful rabbit and ask, "Have you seen a young human child out here? Or anything out of the ordinary?"
"I am Edward," the rabbit replies. "There art many human children here, at each moment chasing me. I hast seen only the remains of animals slaughtered whilst I did slumber."

Bo the grey druid weaves a third sorcery while hidden behind a modest barn, and asks the Mantle's black goat, "Did you see anything out here the night she went missing? Were there any unwholesome creatures around here lately?"
"Nay," says the goat. "Whatever it wast took the childe must have been most quiet. I heard it not."

Hothhil the elf asks the colonists about the Thing, "Does it have a routine of any sort? Something to indicate intelligence?"
"Alas, none that we can surmise," replies the reverend sadly.



Night falls and, with a blizzard barreling down upon them, the heroes resolve themselves to enter the ominous forest of the mountain where the settlers of the Ashblood Colony dare not tread.

At risk of their own lives, they go to save the life of Amity Mantle, a child taken by the mysterious Thing in The Woods.



By the cold light of his woeful blade Brood, Brevos leads the way in a race against time, following the vague tracks before they are rent asunder by the snows of the impending blizzard!

John Mantle gives Mondegreen a blanket without hesitation. "Thanketh thee!" call the gathered men of the colony, and soon their voices are lost on the chill, unforgiving wind.

Torches and candles cannot withstand the snowfall and the biting gale. By lantern light, the fearless heroes leave behind the few planted fields of this fragile outpost and enter the primeval wood.

The warm earth creates a thick mist as it melts the fallen snow. Brevos tracks northeast for some time and the ground gets higher and the mountains draw near; their stone crowned tops looming high above their dark, wooded foundations.



The heroes delve deep through dense woods that no axe ever cut. Thin brooklets trickle here without ever having caught a glimpse of sunlight.

Ashblood's words haunt their minds: "Ever hath the woods on the mountain felt unnatural wrong. We never set foot into them."

Soon, a palpable sense of dread assails them all.

Yet deeper they go, through pitch darkness, blinding snow, howling winds and bitter cold.

For how long, they cannot say. Time, like all notions born of civilization, loses its meaning in the wilderness.



Now, each shrouded in spectral white, the adventurers can see only 25 feet in any direction through the heavy snow on the merciless, moaning wind. Pyotr's knife intermittently hacks marks into snowcoated trees in the hopes of finding a way out of here.

Mondegreen's black cat peers out unhappily from the deep pocket of her sorcerer's robe and sniffs, "You only bring me to the nicest places."

Snow grows thick on wet, red faces. Backs bend against the gale. Fingers and toes are numb. Voices must shout to be heard over the unrelenting wind. They are in the teeth of the blizzard now.



Soon, Brevos believes the wending tracks intersect with an established trail in the woods, and follow it.

Old and disused, the path might carry the tracks northward. But direction is difficult to determine now.

They trod on. Now the ground is cold enough to hold snow. But Brevos believes he can follow this larger, established trail further nonetheless.


Actions? (Brevos, please include a Tracking roll in your next post.)


Region Map:

The heroes are somewhere northeast of the Ashblood Colony.
X = Supposed location of the ancient shrine of the Evil that plagued Briarsgate.





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 30/30, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Mondegreen Cindereye, Human Magic-User 2: Move: 9", AC: 9, HP: 12/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Pyotr Whitetip, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 30/30
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 32/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 9/9, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl and 1/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)

[wolfpack]

Stay close together, I can find our way back if need be or I can build small emergency shelters where out own body heat will get us through the storm, but I fear if any of you get separated from the group you will be irrevocably lost.

With the familiar hum of brood comforting him Brevos stoically continues on the trail of the child.


[1d100] = 81

[ravenn4544]

Mouser pauses for a few moments and seems to listen to the wind. No expression can be seen - his face is buried in his cloak and everyone else is doing the same - but he suddenly quickens his pace as the group heads deeper into the wintry gloom.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis trundles along, determined not to get separated from the group. ”If this keeps up, I’ll soon be in over my head,” he says, looking at the mounting snow.

[rredmond]

Sling at the ready, Rudolph follows along shaking his head slightly.

[Urson]

Pyotr

Pyotr calls for a brief halt. If ve aren't going to go back to ze village, ve shouldt tie ourselfs together. Hit works at sea to keep uz from being washed oferboard.

He pulls out a coil of rope and encourges others to do the same. He also makes sure his bullseye lantern is lit- and offers it to Brevos.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo wishes he would have stayed back at the farm.

Once the obvious trail is found, the druid makes a suggestion.

"This is foolish! Once we know which direction we should travel, perhaps it would be a good idea to go back and return here in the morning, after the storm has passed?"

The druid worries about the conditions and the wee ones in the group, but he continues along with the others if they want to keep going.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Seeing the group halt, Hothhil wades over. He agrees with Bo. Brevos, if you've lost the trail, there's no use continuing. We can start searching again from here in the morning. Barring that, he recommends the group just make shelters here and sleep through the rest of the storm.

[wolfpack]

I agree when he trail is lost, but it now leads to this older more established trail, it is not gone yet.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Yes! Tying ourselves together sounds like a very good suggestion. We don't need to try finding one of us when we need to be looking for Amity.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur helps tie the group together. He hopes the snow doesn't get so deep that he has to ride on Long Bo's shoulders.

[Inferno]

The Shadow of the Wooded Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day One. Night. Saturday, November 12th, 576 CY
Blizzard, windy, frigid







In search of the missing child, the resolute heroes follow tracks deep into the ominous woods of the mountains, as a blizzard howls down upon them.
Time is running out. The tracks are being rent asunder by the falling snow.

They trudge on. Their bodies are savaged by cold and wind and ice, as their souls are beseiged by the dread of the ancient evil haunting this forbidden, otherworldly wood.

The merciless, frigid temperatures keep plummeting! It feels cold enough to crack the stones. The numbness that claimed fingers and toes now greedily consumes entire hands and feet.

The cruel, biting wind worsens. Visibility might be ten feet now. Pyotr, Ingrid and Urdur lash themselves together with rope, so they are not lost forever in the hammering storm.



The footprints are long gone now. Brevos had tracked them onto a larger path. They follow that path through the ruthless, bonechilling elements for what seems like days.
Then that path is devoured out from under them by the driving snows. They don't know how long they might have strayed from it.

None can tell direction, nor time of night. Their footprints are rapidly swallowed up by the drifting snow. And Pyotr's blazes are hidden beneath the thick white that now blankets every trunk.

With a terrible dread, they realize they are lost in the haunted wood, in the jaws of a blizzard.

An all-consuming weariness threatens to overtake them.

And the snow and the cold and the wind show them no mercy.


Actions?! (and everyone please include a Constitution check on 1d20. Post your actions regardless of the results. Thanks)


Region Map:

X = Supposed location of the ancient shrine to the Evil that plagued Briarsgate.
The heroes' location is unknown at this point.





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 30/30, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Mondegreen Cindereye, Human Magic-User 2: Move: 9", AC: 9, HP: 12/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Pyotr Whitetip, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 30/30
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 32/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 9/9, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl and 1/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)