Chapter 11 - Back to No-Go (Knob Forest)

[Marullus]

Hellebore concurs. Eight doors here, then up the stairs. She follows Angus' lead, both spear and healing magics at the ready.

[enn.in.me]

"Sounds like a plan. Maybe even a good one." Yenny once again has her holy symbol at the ready as they cross the room. "Somebody should keep an eye on the rest of the doors to make sure we're ready if something pops out."

[AleBelly]

The party ties off their mounts near the entrance and carefully move through the once-magnificent domicile. Nerves fray as they open each door. On the first floor they find sitting rooms, servants' quarters, a large kitchen. They appear to have been thoroughly looted. As they continue, the sense of danger recedes. Tension is replaced by melancholy. Peeled plaster droops from the wall. Once brilliant paints are faded. Happier times are not difficult to imagine.

Upstairs, the party finds several large bedroom, once the quarters of the owners of this manor. In each room, the hexagonal symbol of Perun is carved into the rotting ceiling moulding. The largest room holds faded, rotting paintings. But it also has a fireplace. Windows offer views over the ghost town. The rotting belfry. Their campsite last night. But no movement. And the house is clear.

There's about another 2 1/2 hours of light left in the cloudless sky.

Date: 5 Culling, Year 42
Time: 15:25
Conditions: 36F, clear, wind from west 10 mph, 2 inches of ice-crusted snow on ground
Known Spells in Effect: Galan, Arnulf invisible
Light bearers: Sun, 2 1/2 more hours of light
Intended Direction of Travel:
Injury Status: Dandelion, Chet, Angus slightly wounded

[enn.in.me]

Are we to assume that you are moving us along and that our characters have thoroughly searched the fireplace and behind the paintings and so forth? I have no problem with this, personally; I just don't want to leave under that assumption if it's not true.

[Marullus]

If it looks like it merits it, Hellebore will use her second Detect Magic spell on the large bedroom, particularly the symbol, the fireplace, the paintings, and getting others to move the paintings to look behind them, etc.
If not (as I suspect), she will use it in the main hall to see if there is any lingering enchantment where the corpses had been cursed.

[AleBelly]

After the first pass-through, the party is confident that no harmful foe is hiding or inhabits this abandoned house. They wouldn't have had time to fully inspect the fireplaces, every square inch of the house, etc. But they've checked enough to feel safe.

Hellebore would be familiar of the custom of Perun worshippers engraving his symbol on the roof or inside the moulding of their homes. Mainly done to ward off lightning strikes. Everything outside of the room where the corpses were is looted. Nothing of value has been found. Otherwise it's just a decaying house.

[Zhym]

Does the looting look recent, like it happened after we took care of the undead living there, or like it's been looted a long time?

"Looks like we done wasted our time," says Angus. "Hard to imagine a few batsquitos and a couple of scary zombies were enough to get the orcs to name this place 'No Go.' But damned if there seems to be anything else here."

He looks around him, almost hoping something will jump out and attack just to break up the monotony. "Still, we ain't got nowhere else to be—nowhere we can get before sundown, leastwise. Might as well look the place over real close to make sure we ain't missing a hidden compartment or secret cellar or such, then hole up in the big bedroom for the night. Ought to be pretty easy to defend."

[enn.in.me]

Yenny goes to look behind the paintings, and probably looks a little silly reaching up so high. "Darn tall folk."

[Storm11]

Before settling down for some shut eye Tempus squirrels his way up the chimney to check out what's there and look for any lose stones or hidden panels or creepy creatures. Is there an exit at the top he can see?

[onlyme]

Dandelion will eventually get into the snooping. She will look through any chest of drawers to see what kind of tastes the previous owners' pajamas reveal.

[Marullus]

Helelbore helps check the fireplace. She casts her detect magic on the main room where the bodies were to see if the magic lingers.

Hellebore plans to Fire Trap the exterior doors that open to the main hall (only building entrance on the map, right? Others are all windows) and also the doors to the main bedroom, where they plan to sleep. She informs the others of this and if they don't object, does so when it is time to settle in. She sends her raven with Tempus and Chet when they depart. The eagle and wolf are in the room for sleeping and warmth. She opens a window to ensure the eagle can enter, and that it can depart again if needed during a night assault.

[Zorroroaster]

Occasional noises remind the party that a pudgy boy Mage is still hanging around and by the sounds of it is rifling through things in the manor looking for hidden objects or things that have been overlooked.

Camping with the family - sorry for my lack of participation!

[Zhym]

"What next?" asks Angus as they search the brick house. "Wait here for Tempus and Chet to return with news of the confab? Or head back to Alleborg and have them meet us there?"

[AleBelly]

Helelbore helps check the fireplace. She casts her detect magic on the main room where the bodies were to see if the magic lingers.

Hellebore plans to Fire Trap the exterior doors that open to the main hall (only building entrance on the map, right? Others are all windows) and also the doors to the main bedroom, where they plan to sleep. She informs the others of this and if they don't object, does so when it is time to settle in. She sends her raven with Tempus and Chet when they depart. The eagle and wolf are in the room for sleeping and warmth. She opens a window to ensure the eagle can enter, and that it can depart again if needed during a night assault.

To answer some questions and clarify things - the windows have no glass...this is a home abandoned long ago. The two doors are the only doors leading directly into the manse that the party is aware of. The looting must have happened quite a long time ago. No recent signs (last few months or even years) of this are visible.

Also, I think I remember that Hellebore was going to talk to the raven and ask it to return. What does the raven need to see to return? That they reached the tower?

I'll send an update later tonight after Chet has a chance to chime in about where they will meet next.

[tkrexx]

Places like this, they always got a stash somewheres, yeahh. Hyde encourages his tribe to be prickly in their search while he guards and wards.

[CAI4]

"What next?" asks Angus as they search the brick house. "Wait here for Tempus and Chet to return with news of the confab? Or head back to Alleborg and have them meet us there?"

"I think we should go meet back at Alleborg. Because I think it would be more convenient I think. That way we don't have the same troubles we did last time we wanted to meet up." The monk thinks for a minute. He seems very confused by the raven plan, but finally he gets it. "Thank you for sending the raven, Hellebore. I can talk to it and tell it to return when things are safe."

He blinks a few times. "We have time. Can we divide up the gold coins now?" he asks.

[Marullus]

Also, I think I remember that Hellebore was going to talk to the raven and ask it to return. What does the raven need to see to return? That they reached the tower?
]

No, they both can Speak with Animals. The Raven is going to wait a full day (safe in the tree line), watching to ensure one of them comes out safe. They can tell the Raven a message which it will carry back. (They can then go back in or not, at their election. they just need to come out once.). If the sun sets with them not reappearing safely, then it will return so we know it went badly.

I am fine if we wait a day in the manse here, or wait at Allborg, but we need to pick one.

How can I know if it is cloudy enough for lightening, btw? That wasn't answered on the other thread. Do I need to use predict weather every eight hours or is there a more mundane way to prognosticate the weather forecast?

[Zhym]

I'd suggest returning to Alleborg if that's okay. Angus is going to go nuts wondering what's in that book.

[enn.in.me]

"If we're done here, it seems like we should head back to town, either now or in the morning. If this guy is even remotely honest, I don't imagine he'll attack us tonight. Could be other things, though."

[AleBelly]

How can I know if it is cloudy enough for lightening, btw? That wasn't answered on the other thread. Do I need to use predict weather every eight hours or is there a more mundane way to prognosticate the weather forecast?[/ooc]

Based on the reading of the spell, there would have to be either rain, nearly complete cloud cover and wind, or a storm itself to use call lightning. And the predict weather spell is there for a reason...I don't think meteorology would be a strong suit of Alleborg.