[Continued] - Valorei/Elves - 2 April, 1 VC

[OGRE MAGE]

Wendall

I say we head to the south as far as we can go and try to find a spot to make camp. If we don't find anything interesting, we can head back to the north in the morning.

That way we don't leave anything behind us that we might have otherwise missed.

[MonkeyWrench]

Valorei looks south, scanning the area in that direction, "Wonderful thinking Wendall!" He then begins leading the group south, scanning the forest for any easier paths as well as movement from possible threats.

[Marullus]

He turns to Nihilius, "I agree with Halfred young wizard, There is wisdom in his words. This place is full of greater power than you, respect is needed here."

Nihilius pauses, then snuffs the lantern. "I agree... which is why I prepared a shuttered lantern rather than brandishing a torch like a crazed animal." He continues to Valorei specifically. "If we wish to prepare no source of flame at all, I will honor your leadership. As I said before, I trust your wisdom, friend elf." He repacks it in his gear and quietly resumes leading the horse.

[Keehnelf]

April 4, 1 VC - 5:10pm

The party heads south along the treeline, looking for openings. After a few hours, they find themselves approaching the first foothills of Sheol's teeth, less than a mile distant, and their forward progress slows somewhat as they consider the lack of easy inroads to the forest and the likelihood that they will need to retrace their afternoon's steps before long.

While they pause to consider next steps, Baxtaw spots something out of the corner of his eye, an odd formation of stone in the undergrowth. The group approaches cautiously to the edge of the wood, and find a curious statue sitting amid the bushes and weeds. It is about two and a half feet tall, and depicts a small boy, probably an elf, squatting near the ground with arms raised up and curled over his head, as though warding off a blow from above. The statue is very old, and the details of the face and clothing have been worn away by wind and rain. The statue tilts very slightly to one side, and is not mounted on any sort of base or connected to any construction within the bushes.

[Mister-Kent]

Olympia peers down at the little figure. "Hm. No structures in site. I see no good reason to leave a statue in the wilderness...unless there were some sinister purpose or origin..." Her voice is quieter than usual.

"Perhaps there is an altar of some sort around, or other religious site nearby..."

Okay, Olympia may not know what to make of it, but I certainly have my own suspicions!

[AleBelly]

"Likely some foul magic" mutters Varas. "The man who warped my father's mind often threatened to do just this thing to me when I was a youngster."

[Enoch]

Olympia peers down at the little figure. "Hm. No structures in site. I see no good reason to leave a statue in the wilderness...unless there were some sinister purpose or origin..." Her voice is quieter than usual.

"Perhaps there is an altar of some sort around, or other religious site nearby..."

Okay, Olympia may not know what to make of it, but I certainly have my own suspicions!

Agreed. I don't think my semi-sheltered halfling would have any idea.


"How curious. A statue, all the way out here? Maybe there's a manor about, or somesuch." Halfred appears to doubt his own statement, however; and he casts his eyes about, looking for a path or sign of civilization.

[Keehnelf]

The woods are just as thick here as they were elsewhere. The orange-gold leaves flutter in the slight breeze and far-off you hear some faint bird calls. It seems friendly, if difficult to traverse, but still that nagging sense of unease creeps in.

[OGRE MAGE]

Thats the second time we've been warned.

Should we snoop around for a while and then make camp?

[Mister-Kent]

...Yeah, I'm all for avoiding the deep woods for the time being. I think I agree with Ogre but will wait til everyone else chimes in.

[Keehnelf]

I was just relaying info since Halfred was looking around for signs of civilization--wanted to make sure it was clear that the uneasy feeling is in counterpoint to the actual peaceful environment.

[Mister-Kent]

(Read: DEATH! DEATH ALL AROUND YOUUUUU )

"It seems unlikely to be a religious idol, on second thought," Olympia says, and stoops to examine it further, touching it gently.

Was the statue dragged here--are there marks in the ground indicating such?

[Keehnelf]

No. The statue seems to have shifted a bit from its original position, though. There's an indentation in the ground where it probably lay for a while before it started to tilt.

[AleBelly]

"Yes, let's make camp. Our watches should be in teams of three. I don't think we should be caught by surprise out here" suggests Varas.

[OGRE MAGE]

Wendall looks at the statue for a long while.

Its a bit disturbing don't you think? Why would an artist do such an odd rendering?

Can our elves discern anything more about it? You don't suppose this poor lad was a victim of a fell beast with powers of petrifaction do you?

Wendall begins too look around nervously.

[Marullus]

Nihilius stands quietly, listening to all his companions opine about the artistry of the statue. Eventually, he chimes in, the sound of years and worry in his otherwise young voice. "I am only comforted by the years and ruin which have taken their toll on this statue, that the cause of its creation might be thought to have moved beyond. I would exhort you all to make camp elsewhere were it otherwise." He solemnly regards the others, then sighs, looking a moment at Wendell before he continues. "I have more years than you might expect, and the lore of such things is not unknown. There are a bevy of foul creatures who's mere gaze can enter through the gateway of your eyes, still your soul, and turn your flesh to unliving stone. There are sorceries to accomplish this as well. This elf sought to hide itself from its foe. It rests with no base, in a place where artwork would not be stored. This is the result of magic, not of artistry. I fear it gives us a strong hint of what kind of horror might lie within the wood."

[OGRE MAGE]

Wendall

Whoa....

Even though it's not really his thing, Wendall will wander around looking at the ground while camp is being made. He looks for anything that might have left a track in the dirt here recently.

[Keehnelf]

No sign of tracks, except belonging to your party + horse.

[MonkeyWrench]

Valorei inspects the statue before they leave to make camp, inspecting the craftsmanship(?), looking to see what race it truly is and how lifelike the statue appears to be. He also attempts to lift the statue, since it is of a young boy, or otherwise move it from it's original resting spot.

[Keehnelf]

It might be the size of a small boy, but it is still made of stone, and quite heavy. Val can move it incrementally, with difficulty. It looks like the statue might once have been quite detailed, and its proportions are certainly lifelike, but erosion from wind and rain has erased much of the fine lines of it. A bit of lichen grows here and there on the eastern side of the statue.