Barrow Mounds: Hallowed Ground expedition

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin shakes his head when Sevant asks about the weapons. "Nope I'm not trained in throwing weapons such as those yet."

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

"Good shooting guys."

The ambush worked well and taking two down without any attack back is a boon as we are all injured. If the mood is to stay until dawn, I will take the watch from the door.

At first light, after breakfast of course, we should leave.

So I would like us to agree a plan. Do we take what we have back to Helix, divide the plunder, sell the jars for whatever we can and call it quits. Or trek straight back after we are healed up?

My thoughts are if the jars are worth more than 20gp each we could return but with some pack mules and other labourers and raid the mound proper and take the stuff to Ironguard rather than Helix to get extra cash return.

What do you guys think?

[LordKane77]

Did we find out that's what the jars are worth? Also, I don't necessarily know how 1e works for healing. If we rest, do we heal? Because if we do, we could probably stay out a little more? Also, is Rueben done? Or is there more for him to do? I barely want to ask.

[Spearmint]

treasure from the mound

coffer contains another urn, similar in style to the one in the larger stone coffin. There is also a potter's wheel and footplate to rotate the clay and mould designs. A large wide bowl shaped jar, sealed by a thin cork has sticky pungent clay in it.

Rat purse of 75gp
Bronze large key
Clay toad that leeches poisonous paint
Potters urn from coffin 44gp
Potters urn from secret room coffer. Contains a scroll. (Unidentified).

You do not have the skill to appraise the amphora jars worth. A small cracked painted one might be worth more than a big heavy plain one.

Each are sealed. Those that have been smashed by the poltergeist contained common ingredients like seeds, grains, one had lumps of coal, another empty, one had a vinegary wine. There are probably 100+ jars (see the pic) around the room of various designs and conditions. You have taken one each that you consider to be 'the best'.

[LordKane77]

It seems crass to change our plans a this point. I vote for trying to survive the night and deciding in the morning.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

It is about 3.30am so not long til dawn.
I agree a lot depends on Reuben's ability to heal, if he can.

I note in the record of treasure that the potters wheel and sticky mud was found. While none of us can detect magic, I wonder if the item may have value and the mud is modelling clay? Strange to hide such a mundane item and I presume it relates to the pottery theme of the mound.

Awake since the intrusion, I would like to set up the potters wheel, see if we can make it spin and attempt to 'throw' a newly created jar.

[LordKane77]

As a hilarious sidenote, I know how to use a potter's wheel (albeit an electric one where I didn't have to worry about foot pedals even) and all I have to say to that is......
Good luck!

And also I hope you weren't attached to those clothes! Lol!

[LordKane77]

Savant will keep watch with Vann if everyone else needs to catch a few more hours.

[Spearmint]

Barrow Mounds, south of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

May 9th 1066.
6.30am. light breeze, dry conditions.
Light: Exterior visibility limited to 60'ft through thick mist.
Interior of Mound: Lanterns.
Vann Hector -4hp, Savant -1hp, Reuben -2hp. Eldon -2hp, Dalin -3hp.
Effects: none.

While some folk return to their bedrolls, enterprising elf Vann Hector decides to turn his hand at some crafting. He figures out how to set up the manual potters wheel contraption and grabs a handful of the pungent mud from the earthenware bowl.

The mud splatters once thrown like Sarge drying his coat from a. mud bath. It must be a thing with Vann after wrestling greasy pigs and grapplers at the festival.

Strangely, the mud is not a form of modelling clay but the touch of the loam absorped healing minerals into the cuts on his skin and they begin to congeal in a regenerative way. It seems this is a blessed Hurtloam, an ancient healing.

During the next couple of hours, those watching at the sealed entrance report no further incursions.

Eldon can test the 'bushmeat' found in the hybrid humanoids that is probably lizard haunches. Sarge sniffs and wags a tail hoping for some morsels to chomp on.

Reuben prays and chants and self-flagellates his sins away. Lighting a last votive candle he prays to bless the spiked body and the two deceased outside.

He then tried to pray for the team members as requested by Vann Hector earlier, using his ministry to lay hands upon Tamson who gets fully healed and Savant +2hp

Reuben prays CLW over Tamson [1d8]=8 Savant [1d8]=2

The healing mud, as per the house rules needs to be applied as a cast and left to dry. Then it becomes the catalyst for healing. But applying it as a cast will limit movement or applied to minor wounds such as an arm or torso, will prohibit carrying items or fighting. So do you apply the mud or take it back to hopefully use (or sell) in Helix?

decisions and actions please

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin picks up his stuff and goes out for some fresh air and awaits the others decisions as to what next.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

As much as we need healing up, if we put a cast on someone who can then not carry or fight for four hours while he soaks up 4hp of healing, it makes them a deadweight to the trek unless we stay here during that time.

That would put us into leaving after midday and arriving back in Helix early evening. There is wisdom in the delay.

I would rather heal someone up now that be forced to camp exposed on the Moor while someone is under the restoring effects because we had to apply it to them later after an encounter.

By the way, how many doses are there? Enough for one person, two, three?

"Eldon, what do you say? Savant?"

By my reckoning then of the ooc rules in the stuff, to gain ,+2hp takes three hours. So yeah. I am going to make a decision and tell the injured Eldon and Dalin to strip down so the priest can cover their wounds and we wait out a few more hours in this relative security.

If there is extra I will apply to myself and the priest after.

[LordKane77]

Savant finds Vann and asks, (quietly) "Is this the extent of Rueben's quest or is there more?"

Ultimately Savant has no strong feelings at this time. However, if there are 100 sealed urns, he could see himself looking in 100 sealed urns. Waste not want not. We're out here anyway.


How long does the mud have to be on to do it's job?

[torkill]

Eldon shakes his head at Savant. "I'd rather take my chances with this wound than to strip down and sit in a crypt that was haunted by a ghost just a few hours ago, and raided by lord who knows what. If their friends come back with reinforcements....." The halfling shudders.

If Reuben is satisfied with his rituals, then let's consider ourselves lucky and start back. Nothing says we can't take a peak at another crypt on the way though

[LordKane77]

Honestly I was wondering about set time just for reference.

[Spearmint]

Barrow Mounds, south of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

May 9th 1066.
8.30am. light breeze, dry conditions.
Light: Exterior visibility limited to 60'ft through thick mist.
Interior of Mound: Lanterns.
Vann Hector -2hp, Savant -1hp, Reuben -2hp. Eldon -2hp, Dalin -3hp.
Effects: none.

okay. So let me take this from the last encounter. Vann tries to model clay but discovers the slippy mud is Hurtloam which he applies to himself as Eldon prefers not to risk being caught unarmoured.

During the next hours until dawn, the only encounter worth noting is that from the sealed door barricade, the Watchman notices a group of figures in the mist. They wander quite aimlessly but as a group, some skeletons armed with rusty swords and old battered shields. They pass by your mound not giving the door any though. In a few seconds they walk out of sight in the mist towards the east.

Vann +2hp. There is enough mud for one full body or two torso/arm casts left in the corked bowl.

Reuben seems satisfied with his purpose. He has returned to the Mounds though not the one that his comrades died in, but feels having dispelled the poltergeist and blessed the tomb and body in the coffin, at least he has fulfilled certain motivations. He doesn't speak of the gargoyle skull and you don't bring it up.

Everybody grabs an amphora, except Tamson who leads the way. Vann also weighting himself down with the potters wheel. You movement is reduced by the encumbrance.

Tamson leads the way back westwards and you first climb again the green hillock with the skeleton arm sticking out the ground. Those skeletons that passed your mound hiding place did not claw their way out of here. Proceeding several hundred yards west you walk through the mound meadow without seeing another mound in any direction and eventually turn south to go into the field of mammoth bones that marks the recognised entrance to the area.

I will take any final actions or comments here before I roll for the trek back to Helix.

I would like everyone to give me a 1d6 with their next post please.

[LordKane77]

As we're packing up Savant quickly dumps 3 amphora's that are close and look easy to dump/sort through, just to make sure there's not easy pickin's standing next to him. He doesn't purposefully smash them, but he's not careful, preferring haste.

[1d6]=1

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin "Uh any more of that mud I could use some healing aid." the dwarf admits.

[1d6]=1

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Vann Hector: random check. [1d6]=3

if SM can retrospectively apply the loam that would be okay but I don't want to stop for three or four hours now.

I will carry a large amphora and the potters stuff, ditching all unnecessary kit from my pack to make room and save weight. My objectives would be to make it back unscathed. I am quite fine with storing the jar in my tavern room and returning to the Barrows the next day rather than spending time trying to sell the stuff.

"I have two horses in the stable. Maybe they could be equipped with saddle bags and we can return and raid the same mound again?" he suggests as he walks along.

At the mammoth field he will wait for anyone who wishes to leave a tribute or ribbon on a bone in case doing so gains some unseen favour. (you never know until you try).

[torkill]

Eldon packs his gear and sneaks Sarge a bit of the lizard meat in the morning. He picks up his chosen jar and follows the others. "We should at least find out if they are of any value. But if they are, then I agree getting some sort of beast of burden to carry them all would warrant a return trip."

[1d6]=5

[LordKane77]

"Agreed" In reply to Vann's suggestion.