Crooked Yew and crocked bees.

[Karaunios]

Dougal

"A'right." He will do what I mentioned earlier in the new spot.

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

"On second thought, we risk running into a bugbear war party if we return north. East to the barrow mounds ... or, this direction until we know which way is east." Moriartus continues walking in the same direction at a careful pace.

[Spearmint]

April 30th 1066

Blackened Forest fringe, west of Barrow Mounds. Duchy of Aerik.

11.10am:
Weather: sunshine but cloudy, light breeze.
Conditions: Ben -1hp, Jake -3hp.

there is another idea that you could use to travel to the Barrow Mounds. Use the troll tracks?

They came from somewhere and if you can sneak behind them, Dougal might have a good opportunity to put his ranger skills to the test?

Figuring to give it a shot, the brogue accented warrior does indeed pick up the trail of large footprints and flattened bracken traipsing in a meandering course, generally coming from a suspected eastern direction. Hopefully the enraged trolls, who by now have moved on from the ambush spot, continue in the opposite path.

Within minutes of following the trail you come to a macabre scene of the two other bugbear escapees. Gutted and headless, victims of the troll encounter. You don't wait around long as the fresh blood will undoubtedly draw carrion critters and raptors to feast on the carcasses left behind.

For an hour your trek, bent reeds, deep prints, trollish lumps of matted excretion, each indicating your are still on a used trail. Then it ends rather abruptly at a small creek of shallow water. It may be easily forded, probably not much deeper than knee height. The water bubbles from a spring source, much clearer than the heavily sedimented bog puddles. A small grove of trees, black willow and thorny sycamore lining the embankments eek out a precarious existence in the acidic soil. Thick shrubbery, blooming in varied colours and mosses cover much of the landscape here and lichen covered boulders dot the area. To the left of the creek is the spring source, lapping from between some exposed granite stones. To the right the water flows, southwards you think before becoming assimilated into the peat bogs. A few critters mingle by the water's edge or shelter on little lily fronds that float in the surface. The toads and voles ignore you, keeping their distance. The long grasses of the Barrow Moor surround this little oasis.

any actions here

I include an approximate map of your location. End of the green dotted trail.

Dougal uses troll tracks [1d100]=17 vs 66%

Dougal uses troll tracks [1d100]=81 vs 66%

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

"Thank you, Mr. Dougal. Your skills have proven to be quite helpful. Both trolls will be free of our spells by now, so we should have at least an hour if they decide to return here. That said, I expect this is where the infected bees have been. Consequently, I advise against drinking the water."

Moriartus kneels down at creek's bank and dips an index finger into the water. He then touches the fingertip to his tongue, attempting to ascertain any taste. After sampling the water, he proceeds to examine the granite stones and the crack from where the water flows.

"Unusual to see granite this far from the mountains ... although, the barrow mounds are a short distance away. There are rumors of an elaborate maze of crypts and catacombs beneath the mounds. These granite blocks may be a part of that construction."

[Karaunios]

Dougal

The ranger nods at Moriartus. He's about to taste himself a drop of the water when the magic use does it for him. Then he looks in the distance and gets a deep breath.

"Aye, I've heard rumours aboot those crypts. I'm intrigued but we should deal with the bees first, dinna ye think, sir? We missed our chance tae tie a cord and a bell tae one af'em, with the goblins and all. Mibbe some will come here while we stay?"

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

"I agree, Mr. Dougal. Allow me to explain."

"We know the infected bees come into the Moor. We also know the infection began relatively recently. The sect of Orcus has been excavating in the Moor. The Barrowmaze is a likely target for such work and any kind of foulness from within could be contaminating the spring water. That sect has also recruited trolls to their cause and two of them were definitely here. Were they guards?"

"Would you check the eastern bank for tracks?"

[Karaunios]

Dougal

"Good call, sir. I'll start right nae." The ranger heads towards the eastern bank and starts looking for tracks on the ground, broken branches, etc.

[Spearmint]

I will wait on Barba's action then update. I think as a group you probably won't return to civilization unless you decide to cut any expedition shirt, hence moving forward with opening the Mayday festival in your expected absence.

I will try and squeeze in some opportunity though for your guys to earn some extra XP rewards that you might otherwise miss out on.

[Spearmint]

April 30th 1066

Barrowmoor, west of Barrow Mounds. Duchy of Aerik.

12.30pm:
Weather: sunshine but cloudy, light breeze.
Conditions: Ben -1hp,

I will move this on as it has been a week since the last action post.

The group take refuge by the creek. It feels a little haven in an eerie and chaotic environment. Surprising to the mage Moriartus, but the spring water is clean and fresh and most certainly drinkable. The waters bubbling between an exposed strata of base rock. You can all refill canteens.

Dougal goes to check for trails on the other side of the creek. There are signs of passage, but these are from herd creatures or larger reptiles that most probably drink the waters here too.

You follow some broken branches, flattened grasses for a while and trek around the creek near to the willow copse. In the middle of a grove of trees, three carved wooden figures stand. They are roughly gnome sized with caricature heads like you might find on a native totem.

Friar John breaks out some rations and checks again on the wounds of the twins. He can cast his final prayer for the day, doing so to heal the most injured. Jake gets fully restored to health.

As a place to rest, this looks the most congenial of all possible locations. Though Barba maintains a perimeter patrol.

actions please

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus investigates the gnome sized wooden figures, giving each a tentative whack with his staff to complete a cursory level of empirical testing.

[Karaunios]

Dougal

"I could only see animal tracks before. Nothing frae humans or the like." Let's see nae."

Dougal sticks to his job taking a look around them. But he's cautious and won't go far.

[Spearmint]

April 30th 1066

Barrowmoor, west of Barrow Mounds. Duchy of Aerik.

1.30pm:
Weather: sunshine but cloudy, light breeze.
Conditions: Ben -1hp,

A small camp is set up as deliberations are made. The creek offers clean water which is used to refill canteens and washed the bloody wounds of the injured. The group have to stay alert though as the ever present swirling mist reduces any visibility to a minimal comfort.

Small amphibians enjoy the respite too from the larger predators, gathering by the creek edge to harvest Mayflies and tadpoles that spawn around the waters. Colourful butterflies flit gently between budding blossoms and the lichen covered trees.

Further along in the grove, Moriartus taps the stubby carved statues, prodding each with his quarterstaff.

"Hey bully leave us be." says one of the figures loudly as after you prod them they begin to waddle away. It seems the wooden statues are not so inanimate after all.

Dougal scouts until he hears the mage's surprise. I rolled but no significant tracks were found.

actions please

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus was momentarily nonplussed at the wooden figures' reaction, but nevertheless relieved they were not immediately hostile. "Oh, dear! My most sincerest apology, good sirs!" He calls out to the waddling figures. "You see, this confounding mist, it irritates my eyes and I'd stumble over my own feet without this staff, here." He squints at the figurines, feigning a myopic vision. "I meant no harm or disrespect, simply sweeping the grasses looking for bees, you understand?"

Charisma (17): [4d6]=17

[Karaunios]

Dougal

The ranger swirls around surprised by what just happened. "Jings! What was that?" He gets nearer but keeps his distance, preferring not to alarm the strange creatures they that just found. He stands behind Moriartus, looking at them with awe. "A-and they talk!"

[Spearmint]

April 30th 1066

Barrowmoor, west of Barrow Mounds. Duchy of Aerik.

1.30pm:
Weather: sunshine but cloudy, light breeze.
Conditions: Ben -1hp,

The wooden humanoid figures huddle together. They are not injured, irritated but not injured. You get the chance to study them as they mutter among themselves, speaking a strange hybrid language, perhaps an earthy 'fey' tongue thought from a few expletives, you can estimate they have a rudimentary grasp of common.

They are each about the size and build of a gnome but with larger more bulbous heads and hands. One us slightly taller and thinner with a white-silvery sheen while the other pair are more tanned and neutral brown. They have a rough torso and legs, similar to bark. Certainly you have never seen humanoids like them before. It causes you to think.

Golems. They are wooden golems.

Intelligence check for Mori & Doug [4d6]=11 [4d6]=14

"He's Birch, I'm Ash and he is Conker" says one. It sparks a bit of debate among them,

"Chesney actually"
"No, Chestnut, of the horse type .... Neighhhh!" There is a bit of pushing and horseplay. Then they stop and turn to you both.

"Who are you? Looking for bees? No honey
around here. Bees come and go sometimes. Hives a long way away."
"Like home."

actions please

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus kneels so that he is at eye level with the wooden golems. "Ah, much better. So rare to meet a friendly face in the Moor, it's only proper to converse eye to eye. My name is Moriartus, and my colleague here is Mr. Dougal. We have actually travelled here from the forest to help a druid with his own bee hives. You see, the bees that return from the Moor are sick with disease. They appear covered in grey splotches and eventually die. We are trying to locate where they go. Have you seen any bees like this and which direction they fly?"

[Karaunios]

Dougal

Not having much to add and not being much of a talker, the ranger crosses his arms and listens attentively.

[Spearmint]

April 30th 1066

Barrowmoor, west of Barrow Mounds. Duchy of Aerik.

1.40pm:
Weather: sunshine but cloudy, light breeze.
Conditions: Ben -1hp,

The group by the creek rest as just a little further on the pair in the grove talk with the trio of Gnomish shaped golems. The mage Moriartus may be more familiar with the tales of such animated constructs, their creation normally the reserve of powerful wizards and sorcerers who use such life imbued beings for guardian purposes.

What could they be shielding here? Surely not a bubbling of spring water?

It is the comment "are sick with disease. They appear covered in grey splotches and eventually die." that piques the golems interest.

Ash who seems the most forward of them, waves you to follow. "Many weeks we followed in Master's steps. Slowly walking, leaving the forest which had been his home. He chose self-exile rather than stay, afraid. We didn't know much but he became sicker until rooting here and ... come and see for yourself."

The gnolemes (my word for wooden gnome shaped golems) take you through the long grasses a short walk away. The smell becomes more than just the damp odours of rotting vegetation beneath the peat but of a decay and atrophy. In front of you is the black rotted trunk of a tree which seeps a sticky smelly sap. Extended branches are crooked and withered. There is no greenery of leaves but sprouting of gray hairy fungus, which splotch the tree in mass outbreaks. It is then you realise you are not looking at a tree but the dead and rotting corpse of a treant.

It seems as though the arboreal guardian was infected and rather than pass the virus afflicting him in to other forest denizens, chose the wilderness as a place to die. And now here he stands, or rather rooted into the soil. Dead and decaying away.

actions and questions or comments please

The golems have a similar shape to this.

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus walks up to stand next to the dead treant, reaching out a hand in awe, but holding back from actually touching the blackened bark. "Such a majestic being. I am sincerely sorry what befell your master," he says respectfully to the gnolemes. To Dougal, he adds, "I suspect the bees may have collected from the infected sap, using it as nectar. We will need to camp here and watch to confirm that theory, though."

He moves back and kneels again to address the gnolemes with an unsual (for him), but sincere expression of sympathy. "Do you know of what your master was afraid? What will you do, now that your master is dead?"

[Karaunios]

Dougal

His breath taken away by the sight in front of them, Dougal can't but watch. "Aye, I'm sorry too." He says without taking his sight out of the decaying treant. "This is it master Moriartus. This is where the bees got ill. I'm sure ae't." He looks at the gnolemes. "This cud be hard to answer, sirs, but how did yer master got this foul illness and where's yer forest where ye came frae?"