(CLOSED) Zirus' Little Adventure

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Departs

Blankly, the Lizard Man stares at Grognork and then, without a word, departs the cave quietly and begins in the direction of Hommlet.

[Antman9]

Summary

Grognork packages up a few helping of cooked Molerat meat and follows Zirus north toward Hommlet along the road around 8:30 am. The prairie grasses roll off in every direction. According to the map Hommlet should be roughly ten miles to the north, but nothing can be seen from this distance. It will take you around 3+ hours of traveling to reach Hommlet. You encounter nothing of interest, other than a few small rodents, bugs, and a snake or two sunbathing in the middle of the road. You come to within a half mile of the hommlet and see a single tower rising up above the short roofs of various homes. You see nothing moving within the village. No cart, horse, humanoid, anything whatsoever. But you are still a half mile away. The absence of traffic on the road in the middle of the day seems to trouble Grognork, "Zees place eez death home, no? At leazt vee have no giant spiderz, Ha!" Tobias says nothing but looks around in every directions taking in everything.


Actions!

Calendar Day:
12:00 pm
The 8th day before the Kalends of Lunius
Full Moon

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Sends a Scout

"Ssss," muses Zirus to himself. Why should this town be abandoned? "We mus-s-t know more of what is happening within the town. I suspect that there has been an attack. Only s-s-s-tealth will serve us here." He turns his reptilian eyes on Tobias. "Little Brother," he says at last, "The task falls to you. Take the form of a small animal and go into the center of town. Do not dally, but return to us here and tell us what you have seen."

While this is going on, Zirus produces his map once again and examines it for any clues.

[Antman9]

[Formerly known as Tobias – Grimalkin] (HD: 2) (AC: 12)
Actions: Eager to Assist

Tobias nods, eager to please his new friends, changes into a calico striped house cat and slinks off into the grasses of the prairie.

[Antman9]

[Grognork Kettleforge – Human Fighter 1] (HP: 20/20) (AC: 15)

Action: Stares at the Map

Grognork nods to Zirus, "Zhat iz a vize choice my friend. There are many evilz in zees place I fear." Then he watches as Zirus looks over his map.

[Antman9]

Summary

Zirus eyes the map as Tobias works his slinky charm on the village. You note the map must be very old, considering is shows forest between your current position and Dragons Belch, even though the space is obviously prairie now. Eddistone Point, your original destination appointed by Netheril is some 20 miles to the NE of our position. There is also a point marked, midway to Eddistone Point, unnamed.

Roughly 30 minutes later Tobias returns and regales the party with his adventure. "There are, or were, some thirty odd structures. Some of them, most notably on the west end of the hommlet have been smashed to bits. The Tower on the SE side appears to be intact and the main door recently repaired and barred shut. I could smell several humans and many humanoids have been nearby recently. There were several spots near the center of town with fresh blood, but no bodies. There was something els too, though I am unsure what it or they was/were. I have never smelled anything like it." Tobias produces a few long bristly hairs, roughly six inches long with brown and black mottling. "I have never seen anything with hair like this." He looks questioningly up at Zirus (You do not recognize the hairs as anything common to these or nearby parts.) "Many of the homes are empty or ransacked. Whoever was here left in a hurry, but not recently. I smelled fresh scent (he points to the hairs) to the west and a human. And several to the east, a mixture of bovine, human, other.."

Grognork shakes his head at the hairs, "Nor have I seen anything like zees."

Actions!

Calendar Day:
12:30 pm
The 8th day before the Kalends of Lunius
Full Moon

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Circumvent the Village

"You have done well, friend," says Zirus, examining the hairs, but saying nothing. "Since the others are no longer in that village then we have no need to delay there. Especially if we are to catch them before they reach Eddison Point." He displays their route on the map to the others, pointing out Eddison Point and also the road that is shown on the map.

"I believe they would have gone by this route," says the Lizard Man. "Little Brother, Grognork, let us s-s-s-circumvent the village altogether and pick up the road here." He points to the road on the map, about a mile out of town. "We shall s-s-see if we are fortunate enough to pick up their scent once again there."

[Antman9]

[Grognork Kettleforge – Human Fighter 1] (HP: 20/20) (AC: 15)

Action: In Agreeance

"Zat eez probably a vise choice my friend. I do not like zee sound of zees village." Grognork nods and heads off in the direction, across the prairie, where Zirus pointed on the map.

[Antman9]

[Formerly known as Tobias – Grimalkin] (HD: 2) (AC: 12)
Actions: Agrees

Tobias confirms Zirus' descision, "There were many strange smells in that village. I could not distinguish all of them, and some of them I did not care for. I am with you."

[Antman9]

Summary

After some 3 hours of easy travel, an old crumbling keep appears on the west side of the road. A small path, with very little sign of traffic wonders off through the tall grasses toward the keep several hundred yards away. The keep sets in a small depression of the prairie which has filled partially with water that meanders off to the SW.

Tobias sniffs around a bit and declares, "Only humanoid scents toward the keep. There is scent of several humans and a...cow? along the road north. Are your friends traveling with a bovine companion Zirus or a pack animal?"

Actions!

Calendar Day:
3:30 pm
The 8th day before the Kalends of Lunius
Full Moon

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Follow Bovine Trail

Zirus nods in response to Tobias' question. "Yes-s-s, our group has a minotaur as our protector. Because of this, I feel confident that we march upon the correct path. This-s-s other path toward the keep mus-s-st be false, some other group. Should we follow the minotaur we will find the others."

Zirus spends a moment longer looking toward the crumbling keep, wondering what might be there, but then he dismisses the notion finally and leads the group again to the north road in pursuit of the trail.

[Antman9]

Summary

The small party heads to the NW, toward Satan's Crack, where the path meets the mountain face. The mountain fills the sky the further you travel, and the prairie gives way to a landscape of small scrubs and broken boulders. The boulders start out small and sparse gradually becoming larger than houses, eventually filling every square foot of the Earth's surface, with a network of small spaces, cracks, and foot paths crisscrossing in between.

after an hour and a half of traveling, all signs of life have gone the way of the dodo bird. Tobias suddenly stops mid stride and shushes the group. "I hear something strange my friend, and the smell...something dead perhaps. It is not Human." He sniffs the air visibly twitching his nose and turning his head from side to side.

After a moment the rest of the party can hear something off to the left side of the path. Something scrambling through the boulder field making strange guttural sounds. sometimes a moan or cry and sometimes harsh low cries.

Actions!

Calendar Day:
5:00 pm
The 8th day before the Kalends of Lunius
Full Moon

[Antman9]

[Grognork Kettleforge – Human Fighter 1] (HP: 20/20) (AC: 15)

Action: Visibly Nervous

Grognork shakes his head, "I do not like zees my friend. Zees is a bad place to be. Do vee stand and fight or run? I am vith you eezer vay."

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Run!

Zirus meets Tobias' eyes and then flicks his tongue, considering the scent on the wind. And his eyes narrow.

"We run," he hisses, "Now!"

He leads the group in their former direction down the path.

Dex Check in case needed:
[3d6] = 10

[Antman9]

Summary

Tobias CON DC: [3d6] = 17 -1= 16
Grognork CON DC: [3d6] = 10 +0 = 10

You fly down the road Tobias and Grognork close on your heels. After a mile of swift travel you must stop to rest. You hear nor see any sign of pursuit. Ten minutes go by as you rest and still no sign of pursuit.

Actions!

Calendar Day:
5:18 pm
The 8th day before the Kalends of Lunius
Full Moon

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Rest, then continue

Zirus sits down and stares off in the direction of the road. "S-s-seems that we have avoided an unpleasant fate," says Zirus, "The goddess-s-s allows-s-s us to survive a while longer." He takes some food from his pack, shares with Tobias, and takes some drink as well. "This bodes badly that the town of Hommlet has been destroyed and overtaken. Might there be a connection to your old master, Little Brother? Though surely there are many who crave power and will do anything to get it."

Once everyone seems rested, Zirus indicates the road again to his companions.

[Antman9]

[Formerly known as Tobias – Grimalkin] (HD: 2) (AC: 12)
Actions: Converses with Zirus

Tobias makes himself comfortable, looks off into the distant sky and begins to speak, “Lareth the Stupid, a self appointed cleric of some order or other, don’t care from where, my former master, takes his orders from a man named Calmert, a priest, or so he calls himself, never met him, has some grand scheme to take over this world and turn it into his private hell, or rather ours I should think. I heard tidbits here and there. Black pearls from the Groo, not sure what or who they are, I believe we saw some of their handy work in the dungeon, that smoke I should think, the living turned to grotesque forms of the non-living,. The Elemental Temple, some place out west, is where they were headed. The village most likely their handiwork. I think this is just the beginning of their traitorous plans, foreplay if you will. I believe nothing good will come from their deeds, nothing at all.”

Tobias looks off into the boulders for a moment, “I am indebted to you sir. You have spared me a fate worse than death. You will not regret our friendship, that I promise.” With that he bows and begins walking down the road once more.

[Antman9]

[Grognork Kettleforge – Human Fighter 1] (HP: 20/20) (AC: 15)

Action: Agreeable

Grognork, looking a bit surprised by the talking cat's reaction to Zirus' question says, "Your new friend zere eez, how shall I poot it, very strange. I trust heem though, yes I doo." Then he begins moving down the road, quietly as usual, his ugly little stunted buzzard cooing quietly on his shoulder.

[Antman9]

Summary

The party of three moves on, anxious to find the others and see what has befallen Delea at the signal tower. The craggy peaks begin to loom over the party like a hoard of god-like giants, thrusting their granite spires high into the thin air.

The path runs right up to the towering cliffs and disappearing through a crack barely big enough to allow horse and wagon. A donkey would keel over and die from fright, just from looking at the gloom within. The mountains appear to have thrust themselves straight out of the depths of hell. The prairie runs up and plows itself into the cliffs leaving a torn, piled, and broken landscape. One step is broken desolate prairie, the next is a wall of solid stone.

The sun has crept it’s way closer and closer the edge of the peaks some thirty miles to the west, bathing the party in heavy rays of gold. The signal tower can be seen, perched on a ledge three-quarters of the way up the cliff face, off to the east. It looks dark and forbidding. The map provides very little information on how to access the tower, but there appears to be no other way to go than into the crack labeled “Satan’s Crack” on the old crumbling map. Tobias tells you the party you are following entered the darkness of the crack, that he is certain of. His feline nose has not let you down thus far.

Actions!

Calendar Day:
6:48 pm
The 8th day before the Kalends of Lunius
Full Moon

[Sol]

[Zirus - Lizardfolk Aspiring Cleric 0] (HP 13/10) (AC: 16)
Actions: Enter Satan's Crack

"Little Brother," says Zirus, "How long ago did they pass?" Then he says, "If they have gone this way then so shall we. There is no need to draw the enemy to us with a light. I believe that most of us-s-s can see without effort in black places. Grognork," says Zirus, "Take my tail and I shall lead you true. Do have your weapon at the ready," says the Lizard Man "Though if our friends have been this way, perhaps they have already dealt with any danger in the dark."

Zirus produces a weapon as well, then enters.