Chapter 17: The Thing in the Woods

[AleBelly]

Rudolph’s head snaps up and he looks at each of the faces of the party wildly. ”Push on?????!!!!! I’m one pinky claw from death! How do we help the girl after we ourselves are killed by the pack?”

"If we push on, we do not know when we will be able to rest safely. I magical powers are depleted, as are those of others. If you fighting folk will bear the brunt of any onslaught, I will follow. But if you expect any help from me, I need to get back to that pathetic village to rest."

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur follows as the group leaves. Whether towards the village or a cave, he does not care. But he moves.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo casts a healing spell upon Rudolf. CLW [1d8] = 2

And another on Pyotr. CLW [1d8] = 2

“Sorry friends. My frozen digits aren’t working very well in this cold. I will save my last for an emergency.”

“Let’s head out!”

[Inferno]

The Haunted Woods of the Dread Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. Morning. Sunday, November 13th, 576 CY
Cold, cloudy, damp







Morning breaks cold and pale in the ominous wood of the forbidding mountains.

Having miraculously snatched a temporary reprieve from the jaws of certain death, the wounded heroes debate their next steps for some time.

They are hopelessly lost. Even if they could agree to return to the Ashblood Colony, they know not the way.

By the grace of their gods, Ingrid and Long Bo further heal the grievously injured. But the party is still hurt and shivering.

They make preparations for an imminent, brutal siege and then abandon them.

As time crawls on, the sky turns grey and bleak.



After much discussion, the lost heroes set out, slowly plodding through the foot-deep snow. Soon, many of them have freezing wet feet.

Brevos tries to find their own footprints beneath the deep, fresh snow. He plans to backtrack to the path they wandered from in the night, in the blizzard. It may lie some hours from here. Given the task before him, his pace is meticulous and slow.

Sephus, the druid's crow, keeps watch from overhead for the inevitable return of the bloodthirsty wolfpack that still hunts them in their element.

In time, the thick clouds slowly warm the day. Snow melts, smothering the land in a heavy shroud of fog, creating a cold, spectral netherworld through which the heroes trudge on.



At a painstaking tedious pace Brevos leads them, with Hothhil and Rudolf following close behind. If the doom-laden ranger has found any trace of their having passed here last night in the blinding blizzard, no one else can see it.

Hours pass, perhaps. Time and direction lose their meaning.

No one recognizes having come this way.

No caves are found to shelter them. No bloodthirsty howls break the stillness of the eerie, ancient wood whose oppressive sense of dread does not relent.

Then, on the left, at the very threshold of their perception, there exists a still, shadowy shape whose angular silhouette does not conform to nature.


Actions?


Region Map:

X = Supposed location of the ancient shrine to the Evil that plagued Briarsgate.
The heroes' location is unknown at this point.





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 9/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 6/15, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 15/22, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl and 0/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 17/30, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 1/2 3rd lvl
  Mondegreen Cindereye, Human Magic-User 2: Move: 9", AC: 9, HP: 4/12, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Pyotr Whitetip, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 8/30
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 4/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 9/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 3/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)

[Urson]

Pyotr

Pyotr has been trudging along at the rear, keeping a sharp eye out for any threats following them. When 'the shape' becomes visible, he calls out. Ve haff someting tam, v tumane. In his exhaustion, he doesn't realize he's slipped into Orcish.

[rredmond]

Rudolf with a rueful grimace says nothing, though he thinks about being safe up in the trees... and eagles. He thinks about eagles too. As he prepares his sling and tries to enshroud himself in shadows. [loads sling]

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur lights a torch (if he hasnt already)and readies a flask of oil to throw at the approaching creature.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo sighs as he steps forward again in the paladins absence.

"Well met, stranger! We are lost in this snow and in need of help, if you've any to offer. Do you know the way to Vicars Head by any chance?"

[ravenn4544]

Mouser trudges along with the group.

[Rusty Tincanne]

True to his word, Hothhil steps to the left of the group, placing himself between the shape and the magic users. He knocks an arrow and prepares to fire if it starts toward the group. He repeats Bo's words in elvish, gnomish, halfling, goblin, hobgoblin, orcish, and gnoll.

Is the shape more like a building or monolith?

[wolfpack]

Thinkin the others have lost their minds alerting the thing to their presence Brevos draws Brood and stands ready.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Unsure what they have found, Ingrid stands alert. Though she doesn't feel the shadowy object itself represents a threat, she cannot rule out there isn't something that does.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Is the shape more like a building or monolith?

At this distance, scale is hard to judge. But its shape is closer to a building than a monolith.

assuming the supposed structure doesn't respond:
Hothhil approaches the shape cautiously, bow at the ready, wishing the fog wasn't blurring his vision.

[Inferno]

DM:

Shouts echo strangely in the fog.

The shape in the woods does not reply.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo moves up with Hothhil, watching all around the shadowy shape as they approach. He calls out a little quieter this time.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

He turns back to the others.

"This may be a good place for us to rest and regain our strength. Shalm, let there be a fireplace and some dry wood!"

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis trundles through the snow to come up even with those in front. He knocks an arrow and watches the structure. “What is that thing? A shrine of some sort? Let’s hope it’s in honor of someone good.”

[Rusty Tincanne]

Hothhil whispers back, I am with Bo on this is rather it is an abandoned home with a hearth inside. Telkis, shall we spilt up? He continues to advance slowly, heading to the right of the shape.

[rredmond]

From his rear position Rudolph keeps an eye out for anything sneaking up on them from behind, or above, or all around... you know like, I don't know, maybe... wolves or something!

[Urson]

Pyotr

The half-orc closes the distance to join the others- but keeps his attention on the woods around them. Even a pustoye zdaniye can be made warm, he mutters, still mixing Common and Orcish.

[AleBelly]

Mondy moves carefully ahead with the others, making sure that all times that there's a meat shield fellow party member between him and an attack from any direction.