Barrowmaze: BRAGging Rites

[Rex]

Orgoth

When Orgoth sees Moorheeth praying he joins him and silently prays to Cromm that they may rest in peace.

[Monsieur Rose]

Sir Dewey

Once the captive is secured, he helps Moorheeth in his final rites. The Knight asks for St. Ygg to receive these poor souls and for guidance on their journey. Once done, he chuckles a bit. "Three prayers, the gods must be busy jockeying for claims."

He nods and agrees with Sven. "Nothing more can be done for these people. But I would like to interrogate that one. Is anyone able to speak with him?"

If none are able to converse with the hobgoblin, Sir Dewey will deem him guilty of the acts he has witnessed. Hanging would be appropriate.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"I can speak Orc and goblin."

To the hobgoblin, first in Goblin then in Orc.

"Do you understand me?"

[Darithe]

Sigrid

Listens quietly to Orgoth as he tries to speak to the hobgoblin. He seems quite the linguist, so hopefully his words will have meaning to the brute. Just in case, she says in Trollish to the hobgoblin, "What is your name?"

[sastaz]

Gerdal raises an eyebrow here and there at the casual mentions of executing the hobgoblin and scaring away its brethren. Apart from that she does not comment the decision made, whichever it may be.

"Yeah, as I said Sven, easy on the fire once we're in the maze. I don't want to get caught in the explotion.""

[Spearmint]

Helix Woods, Duchy of Aerik.

The Flaming Cabin.

June 27th 1066.

9.30am.

Amid the charred cabin, two bodies are pulled out of the ashes. They can be buried nearby and a basic headstone or wooden marker erected. The bodies of the Hobgoblins and wargs can be tossed into the pigpen. At least the smell there covers the aroma of charred and blistered bodies. The one surviving Hobgoblin does not survive much longer. He speaks but only in pragmatic defiance. He gives a personal name, speaks of his tribe as 'from over the hills'. He speaks to of some treaty and that the Hobgoblins are in good standing with a local rancher, inferring perhaps this raid was not an isolated incident but a premeditated action. He points to a charred body as 'the Gaffer'. Just following orders is no justification and his execution is swift. A tight noose and a kick away of the bucket he stands upon.

You can pin an note of explanation upon his body. The cabin is a little ways off the trail, an isolated small holding but not too separate that patrolling militia would not be unaware of its presence. Leaving then a simple testimony and after caring for the deceased, the group press on with their assignment.

The path meanders through the overgrown thickets of tall grasses and huddled crooked trees. Boggy terrain even upon a dry Summer's day. Once out upon the wilderness of the Barrow Moor proper, the mist closes in and within its eerie atmosphere, conversations are whispered as sounds are carried in weird magnifications around you. Despite a little detour over a boggy creek, the group pass within yards of 'The Standing Stone Camp', a small circle of upright stones on a raised hillock of pebble dash ground. Within the circle of stones, evidence of camping is found, some debris tossed aside by yourselves even.

The first time you came here, Sven encountered 'Howl of a Wolf', a Mongrelman and two children, 'Ribbeting Toad' and 'Screech Owl'. On another occasion, a group of Sauron tribesmen using the place as a meetup point with renegade dwarves who reputedly stole a dragon egg from them. The last time, a mercenary guild group escorting you to and from the mounds used it as a base.

This morning another adventure group have taken up residence here before you. After a wary "Who goes there! Friend or Foe?" the two groups can mingle freely.

Fenrice & 'the Barghests'.

A stove boiling some hot spicy herbal is offered as a welcome drink as folk take a breather from a few hours of trekking. This group is led by Fenrice, a tall human with a warrior's bearing and judging by the sword and armour he wears, a veteran of some combat experience. He leads a mixed group who he names as the 'Barghests'. They mingle about the camp and judging from facial scars here and there, a hand missing a finger or two, an eye-patch and one who covers a horridly burned visage with a face mask as equally fierce as the one which Yardie wears, (in fact they sit together to compare), you can assess the group as undoubtedly they assess you, both being veteran exploration outfits.

But they present no threat; indicating they are excavating local sites, this one included, convinced 'buried treasures' are located under some of the Menhirs.

They swap news of 'herds of raptors running riot by the river's edge' and 'three dark Sisters' who were rumoured to have met in a nearby barrow to mourn a deceased one.

this will be relevant to Sir Dewey, Vann Hector and Sigrid who were part of the group who found 'the Hag Barrow' a few miles to the south east on the edge of the Moorwash.

The group plan to stay here a day or two before going 'south of the Froglings' towards another wilderness site.

While folk fellowship, you can note that half of this group, about nine or ten of them, wear a scarf, vest or shawl with a red and black design of three wolves, a typical 'barbarian' motif. Fenrice has such on his shield. For Sigrid who comes from such racial heritage, she may be familiar with the design and it loosely refers to warriors who go into a berserk rage or manifest as wolves in battle. An uncomforting thought, especially if the latter were true.

After chatting and polite exchanges of 'how are you, where are you going, how is the weather today?' Fenrice, comments on Smokie.

He offers to buy the wolf from you, "Name your price. Thirty gold?, Fifty, a Hundred?"

He looks disappointed to be told he is not for sale but shrugs. His men go about the camp, some excavating under some boulders and stones a few yards away in the mist.

actions anyone can ask a question here or try to make an observation, roll a d20.

Eventually the groups go on about their endeavours, he wishes you 'good luck' and goes back to scouring his notes on buried treasures.

The trek continues and with no more specific encounters, the group break out of the Moor into the northern fringe of the Barrow Mounds meadow.

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[redwarrior]

Isvand keeps his own counsel, and his eyes open.

Observation [1d20]=3
That's either really good or really not!

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth also keeps quite, only answering direct questions and trying to learn anything he can.

Observation [1d20]=18

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven takes note of all the worn items that identify this group, eventually asking Fenrice where they hail from originally, telling him if he is ever in Helix to look for him at the Guild site so he can repay their kind hospitality.

"There is more danger out here than raptors friends, but I'd bet a seasoned group like you already knew that. I would like to hear more about your area south of the Froglings. I have never heard of such a place."

Random D20 [1d20]=18

Once they reach the northern edge of the mounds meadow, Sven reminds the larger group to stay quiet and alert, knowing anything can be encountered here in the mist.

"We need to walk this direction a little before heading south towards the Block and Tackle mound we found last time. Is everyone ready to get their first glimpse inside the famed Barrowmaze? Soon we will all be veterans of the forsaken halls below these mounds."

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Careful on the final approach, falling in wouldn't be pleasant."

[sastaz]

Gerdal enjoys the company.

"Oh tea, that's awfully nice of you dear." She pulls the old friendly lady stunt on the other group, but does offer to tell their fortune in the tea leaves!

Observation roll: [1d20]=12

Heirloom Augury vs 72: [1d100]=28

Once we've departed:

"Where are you planning to enter Sven? If I got you right, you explored the same area of the maze that we did, but different sections, right? Are we travelling up that cultist corridor?"

To the new joiners:

"You're really up for something special here! The maze holds a lot of powerful items and spells. But be vigilant! The maze seems to corrupt, both magic and visitors."

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Going in a new way we found Gerdal. We found it from the inside. But overall a better entry point since the rust monster ate the stairs down the other way."

[Monsieur Rose]

Sir Dewey

The Knight takes it all in, pausing to ask directions to the nearby dark sister barrow.

[1d20]=5

After they part and start discussing the maze, he pays close attention. "Ate the stairs? I thought the tales were that they only ate metal."

[Rex]

Orgoth

"They were metal. We can still get in that way if need be but will need to rig something to lower us down. We have done it before. This way is already set up to lower us down."

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven keeps tabs on the quieter members of their group, appearing as though he has something important to say.

He waits to see if they make it to the mound they seek before laying out his plan of attack below.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Listens to the new group but stays alert. He has learned not to trust everybody he meets, especially out in the wilderness.

Gutted that no one was saved in the cabin. Senseless death, just raiding them for hog meat. Surely they could have just bought a few or with the wargs, hunted some wild ones. I suspect the inference that the raid was conducted as a premeditated action has some truth in it. The 'grapevine' rumour mill churns out about a rancher named Bresnan runs a commune type place taking in wayward urchins and Hobgoblins to form some kind of "happy-clappy' together Utopia. But he has some darker secrets which by the sound of things include sending allied Hobgoblin brigands to burn out and murder local small holders. Definitely worth investigating further.

Vann puts that on the back burner to deal with later if indeed a more covert rather than fronted investigation is commissioned (for a price of course!).

With this group at the Standing Stone camp, I resist the temptation to try and shackle one in my anti-lycanthrope chains. (eventually I am sure they will come of use instead of carrying them around needlessly). I will note the shield and group gang insignia.

Arriving in the Barrow Mounds, I will go over the group plans again, taking note of any particular tricks or traps and things to watch out for. I look at my ring. So nice in my hand, much better than the one I gave Cosmo. The gnome, not with us. Still destiny and fate are fickle mistresses, who knows if we shall meet up again?

[Darkmane]

Moorheeth

Mostly keeps quiet pondering over the encounter with hobgoblins and the way the final one reacted to capture. Might be more to the attack than what we could find at first glance. He listens to what he can learn if anything from this new group.

[Darithe]

Sigrid

Sigrid moves about the group of northlanders, very much in her element. She offers to help with cooking during their brief encounter with the úlfheðnar. She had seen their kind before in her homeland and knew they were held in respectful and sometime fearful reverence. If they speak her dialect, she will converse at length with them in her native tongue and sing over the evening respite. She also isn't above a little goodnatured flirting (though nothing beyond that) to cajole any information from them that she can.

[Spearmint]

half past three a.m now so, sleep overcomes the GM but I will update here later this afternoon.

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Long Corridor.

June 27th 1066.

17.00pm.

After leaving after breakfast, the group have had two stops. Firstly dealing with the Hobgoblin Raid on the swine herd's cottage and secondly, meeting with Fenrice and the Barghests group at the Moor camp. Your overriding impression of this group is that they border on being a chaotic brigand like group reinforced with mercenary guild level torchbearers. They are on a specific mission and you are on yours. As two ships sailing in opposite directions you can wave and wish each other 'good luck' but not trust that they wouldn't be above extorting treasure from you given the opportunity. But, they might also be able allies in other endeavours.

Several hours and several miles later, you arrive unmolested in the Barrow Mounds meadow and trekking across the stony ground, make your past a few looming hillocks to the large mound surrounded by a ring of standing stones. The entrance to the mound gives a certain dark impression. The area reeks of decay; small cairns topped by a grinning skull, tombstones etched with demonic features, vultures perched as a shrouded flock of silent mourners come to the latest wake.

The vanguard sneak ahead and confirm the upper chamber of the barrow is empty. The short steps down leading to the pillared crypt and the hole in the flagstones over which the heavy, block and tackle unit is still assembled.





Inside the crypt, the place is much as you left. Scavengers have been in and out, feasting on the stirge carcasses. The tincup, now empty of gold coins, is still by the zombiefied body in the bedroll, pushed up against one corner of the room, barefoot now since Deucalion took the boots when he left with you. A matting of spidery webs coat the body, the block & tackle and in-between the pillars though no web weaver seems to lurk about.

The whole team can come inside and plan any last tactics.

after this I will switch to individual expedition threads, those accompanying Vann Hector will follow the Where-Rats thread.

Here is the current map of 'the Long Corridor'



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