Chapel Wyreth examines the blood trail and isn't able to determine its source, but can't rule out it coming from a person. The blood, along with the overturned benches in the immediate area suggest signs of a struggle. Struggle between people, or struggle to possibly control an animal or beast... you can't tell.
Tharmyr studies the religious artifacts and while none of them appear to be extraordinary in nature, a chalice and a ceremonial rod are high quality items made of silver with inlaid gold etchings.
Moving on to inspect the nearby piles of ash, the gnome is able to determine that they're the remains of a pair of burnt books.
The leather cover of one of the books is still intact and bears the title Parables of Uller. Uller. Seeing the name triggers a memory in those -- Kari, Tharmyr, and Rocco -- who previously examined the broken statue, and Uller is the name of a god of hunting and winter... whose symbol is longbow.
The other book’s cover is burned beyond recognition, but thumbing through fragments of the unburned pages reveals sections of passages detailing government structures.
With his spell still in effect, Loran scans the items recovered from the tent, including those items already collected by other members of the group. The only item other than the longbow that radiates any hint of magical properties is the thin shirt taken by Rocco.
While not directly examined, Loran catches a hint of rotting flesh lingering near the table draped in a dusty cloth serving as a makeshift altar over which the longbow is mounted.
"This place is just causing more questions. Let's hurry up and find a non-creepy place to hole up in." the elven mage urges.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Relentless Endurance: 1 (Recover: Long)
When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks
When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Monsieur Rose as Rocco | Male | Chaotic Neutral | Variant Human | Bard (1) | HD: 1 (1d8) | HP: 10 | AC: 14 | SP: 30' | Initiative: +3 | Darkvision: No | Inspiration: No
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.
Marullus as Tharmyr | Male | Neutral | Rock Gnome | Storm Sorcerer (1) | HD: 1 (1d6) | HP: 5 | AC: 11 | SP: 25' | Initiative: +1 | Darkvision: Yes | Inspiration: No
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Gnome Cunning
You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.
Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning).
Sleeping in light armor has no adverse effect on the wearer, but sleeping in medium or heavy armor makes it difficult to recover fully during a long rest.
When you finish a long rest during which you slept in medium or heavy armor, you regain only one quarter of your spent Hit Dice (minimum of one die). If you have any levels of exhaustion, the rest doesn’t reduce your exhaustion level.
Some one watch the door while I try to remove this long bow. I can't in good conscience leave it here to deteriorate with time. It is a work of art and It will serve me well.
She moves to the alter and examines the area where the dead flesh smell is coming from before climbing onto the table and trying to slide the long bow out of it's mounts on the wall.
Rocco sidles up next to Tharmyr and notes the inlaid religious objects. "Government structures, huh? Looks like good bedtime reading." He remarks on the now revealed god. "Uller. So they had a book about Uller, and an altar. Then something disrupted things and burned it? It may be that our lost settlers have indeed been run off involuntarily."
He handles the chalice and rod, appraising them and keeping them for preservation. "But they left these. So it was more about desecration than profit. I've never liked zealots."
He watches as Loran climbs on the table and stretches to reach the longbow. His mind wanders for a bit, then snaps back to the present. "Good idea. But let's hurry and go check out that log cabin."
"Indeed," replies the learned gnome in a sage tone, "the motives are much revealed. I never expected these islands to be uninhabited or devoid... the settlers believe they came to a place both remote and new, but it is in face the center of the sunken continent. There are older -- much older -- gods here that may be a factor." He tucks the inlaid religious objects into his satchel, his nimble hands wrapping them deftly for safe-keeping.
"But rest we must. Tomorrow is a new day, and the trail will not be appreciably colder when we are well-rested and thinking more clearly." His curiousity for the objects assuaged for the moment, he urges the others towards the cabin and follows. He is ready to get about cooking dinner and sprucing things up there for a needed long rest.
"I agree. We should rest up. But in the morning we should go far away from this place. Too much evil has happened here, I fear." He shudders from the recollection of long repressed memories.
Loran struggles with the Long bow but catches a glimpse of Rocca stairing at her back side.
Rocco instead of starring at my a** could you give me a hand. This thing is stuck here and I want it. I haven't had a good bow for several years since my last one was broken. Get up here and help me.
All things are possible through Magic.
Darklin Sylvanas- Fighter/Magic-User - Big Shiny Island (1E)
Sai Eranthor - Cleric / Fighter/Mage - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures (2E)
Rocco smiles as he walks over to Loran. "Why can't I do both? I'll steady you while you grab it." He winks at the wizard but quickly realizes that she's serious. "Oh. Can you see how it's attached?" Rocco climbs up beside her and tries to help remove the bow.
Chapel "Some one watch the door while I try to remove this long bow,"Loran says, moving towards the makeshift altar. While the alure of the magical bow is strong, the elven mage stops to first investigate the source of the foul smell emanating from the draped table. A simple visual inspection doesn't reveal any hints, but if the drape is lifted, what was thought to be a table isn't actually a table with four legs, but is instead is constructed more like a large cargo box with religious carvings on the front face.
Kari moves to the door to keep watch while Rocco and Tharmyr inspect the religious items. The pair suspect the items, if sold, would fetch a decent price... assuming the sale of such items wouldn't be considered sacrilege.
The neighboring L-shaped building is agreed to be the next destination, after the investigations of this current area are complete.
---
A few notes:
For clarification purposes, the chapel you're currently in (5) is the cabin-style building. The neighboring building (4) is an L-shaped building is made of mud bricks on a wooden frame. See here.
Chapel.jpg (42.99 KiB) Viewed 1007 times
Both Rocco and Tharmyr indicated they're taking the religious items (e.g. chalice, ceremonial rod). Please clarify who is taking what.
Finally, please try to limit your responses to a single action. For example, inspecting the altar for the source of the smell and retrieving the shortbow mounted about the altar are two different steps. The order in which things are attempted can make a difference.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Relentless Endurance: 1 (Recover: Long)
When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks
When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Monsieur Rose as Rocco | Male | Chaotic Neutral | Variant Human | Bard (1) | HD: 1 (1d8) | HP: 10 | AC: 14 | SP: 30' | Initiative: +3 | Darkvision: No | Inspiration: No
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.
Marullus as Tharmyr | Male | Neutral | Rock Gnome | Storm Sorcerer (1) | HD: 1 (1d6) | HP: 5 | AC: 11 | SP: 25' | Initiative: +1 | Darkvision: Yes | Inspiration: No
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Gnome Cunning
You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.
Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning).
Sleeping in light armor has no adverse effect on the wearer, but sleeping in medium or heavy armor makes it difficult to recover fully during a long rest.
When you finish a long rest during which you slept in medium or heavy armor, you regain only one quarter of your spent Hit Dice (minimum of one die). If you have any levels of exhaustion, the rest doesn’t reduce your exhaustion level.
Loran will step up on the sheet covered cargo Box and try to remove the long bow. She pulls and tried to slide it out of it's mounts. If that doesn't work she will use a dagger to try and pry it loose from the mount.
This thing is coming with me if I have to widdle the damn wall away.
OOC- Just so you know I realize the Cargo box probably has a dead body in it, but I just burned Detect magic to see if this bow was magic so that is my priority. Elf with the opportunity to get a magic bow like a kid in a candy store.
All things are possible through Magic.
Darklin Sylvanas- Fighter/Magic-User - Big Shiny Island (1E)
Sai Eranthor - Cleric / Fighter/Mage - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures (2E)
Tharmyr agrees and tucks away the chalice while Rocco takes the rod. As symbols on th crate are mentioned the wizened little gnome pops over and takes a look.
Round 1 (Surprise) Rocco and Tharmyr agree to split the ceremonial items, with the bard taking the rod and the sorcerer claiming the chalice.
Please make sure to add these items to your character sheets if you haven't already.
Kari, still standing watch near the front door, seems eager to press on. "Are we ready to move on?" the half-orc grunts.
"Woah, that's a crate,"Rocco comments once the dressing is lifted from the altar. "And something in there smells awful... hurry up with the bow so we can break the crate open." The symbols on the front of the crate catch the attention of Tharmyr, the wizened gnome, who ambles over and examines them, determing them to be entertwined shapes of longbows -- an obvious pattern designed and used in reverence of Uller, the deity whose name was mentioned on the cover of the otherwise burnt book.
"This thing is coming with me if I have to widdle the damn wall away,"Loran says. The mage determinedly climbs atop the makeshift altar and begins to reach for the bow... however, the instant Loran's hand makes contact with the bow --
-- a definite chill or disturbance in the air is momentarily felt.
With no one or nothing appearing to touch it, one of the wooden benches lifts off the ground, seemingly of its own volition.
In a flash, this floating bench hurls itself at the unsuspecting elven mage gripping the bow but crashes against the side of the altar instead.
---
Feel free to ask any questions you may have, otherwise...
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Relentless Endurance: 1 (Recover: Long)
When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks
When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
* Monsieur Rose as Rocco | Male | Chaotic Neutral | Variant Human | Bard (1) | HD: 1 (1d8) | HP: 10 | AC: 14 | SP: 30' | Initiative: +3 | Darkvision: No | Inspiration: No
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.
* Marullus as Tharmyr | Male | Neutral | Rock Gnome | Storm Sorcerer (1) | HD: 1 (1d6) | HP: 5 | AC: 11 | SP: 25' | Initiative: +1 | Darkvision: Yes | Inspiration: No
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Gnome Cunning
You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.
Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning).
Watch Schedule (Note: Characters do not sleep in medium or heavy armor unless specifically declared.
Sleeping in Armor
Sleeping in light armor has no adverse effect on the wearer, but sleeping in medium or heavy armor makes it difficult to recover fully during a long rest.
When you finish a long rest during which you slept in medium or heavy armor, you regain only one quarter of your spent Hit Dice (minimum of one die). If you have any levels of exhaustion, the rest doesn’t reduce your exhaustion level.
