Chapter 3.1: Away to the Caves:

[PyroArrow]

The Party Splits up and:
Stormbrow, Durgan, Bro. Linos, Boc Maxima, Trindon & Garbonzo, Fr. Tenebaum, Bro. Radac & Bro. Karick

All continue onto towards the Caves of Chaos on the route they had previously planned on when they come upon a path through the Borderlands Forest approximately 10 yards wide that appears to have been fairly recently made.

Stormbrow's group travels for about 445 yards (85 ft / round), keeping in the woods as originally planned, it is about 5.2 minutes later when they stumble upon something unexpected.

Stormbrow:
Strombrow "What is that?", he asks pointing at the unexpected thing.

Dungeon Master:
Stormbrow's Party approach what appears to be a path about 10 yards in width & recently made, that continues southward into the Lonely Tower area & stretches northwards & sloping downwards towards the banks of the Shrill River. You see nothing else on the path at the moment.

On the Player's Map you are about 200 yards North of the Lonely Tower Clearing at the part of the heart/arrow shaped clearing where the 2nd (Eastern-most) hump is.

Stormbrow:
Strombrow contemplating the new path...."I think it is a trick or trap, what say you all?"

Dungeon Master:
The Party stays along the western edge of the path within the trees & brush still hidden.

Bro. Linos says:
Linos says, "It is a shame we did not encounter this before we split our party. Word should be taken back to the Keep of an increase in activity around the Tower."

Linos looks around, as if trying to decide who else could be spared for messenger duty. "Brother Tenebaum? Is your horse fleet enough to catch our departed companions?"

Stormbrow:
Strombrow says, "Yes send word back to the others we can wait for you here or have you meet us a little further up."

Dungeon Master:
Ok, i need to see where Stormbrow's people are looking here, & the spot they are looking from, so i can mention what more may be seen!

Garbonzo & Trindon:
Garbonzo and Trindon are at the rear of the convoy. Garbonzo has his new Long Bow wielded...arrow nocked. Trindon has a javelin, casually in hand. We have not yet crossed the threshold of any path. It is still slightly ahead and to our right...and left.

Garbonzo: says, "Hmmm, a fresh path. That is ponderous...but I have no opinion. I yield the decision to the rest of the group. Same with Trindon. He don't care neither."

Garbonzo has a bit of an attitude about it, because he, Trindon, and Luna Cee felt they had a nifty little plan to sniff out the tower a while back.

See Player's Map Section for Location of the Pathway!

[GreyWolfVT]

Strombrow "I can see the tower and movement near it. I'd not suggest going that way unless it is absolutely necessary."

[PyroArrow]

At this point Fr. Tenebaum says:

"By Dogma, i will mention this to the others heading towards the Keep!"

To Stormbrow:
"Can you have a better look, first, can you tell what the movement & objects are? I am willing to have a closer look."

[imswayze]

Garbonzo: "Stormbrow, what can you see up there?"

Garbonzo and Trindon are on alert, watching our butts. They are surveying the scene, looking in the direction of the path to the North as well to make sure no one approaches from that direction.

[GreyWolfVT]

Strombrow ducks down by some cover and looks by squinting to see if he can get a better look without getting closer. "I'm not quite sure but I saw some things moving almost to me what appeared like people or creatures getting into position for an ambush. But if a stealthier person wants to get a better look I would allow for that."

[Pulpatoon]

Linos: "We have divested ourselves of elves. What about the Druid?"

Linos looks at Durgan. "Would you channel a shrew or marmot, or whatever it is your folk do?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Strombrow "Wait a minute I can make out a couple tall objects with figures working on them. It looks like it might be siege engines and some other contraptions I cannot make out from this distance. I really think we might need the others if we are to deal with this. I also fear what they are planning to do with the siege engines are they to attack the keep or us at the caves?"

[PyroArrow]

Fr. Tenebaum to Stormbrow:

"Hmm, interesting, i will now go inform the others, they should not have gone far yet, i will make haste, wait for me here."

He says this after any reply from Durgan about what Bro. Linos said to Durgan.

[PyroArrow]

View of the Lonely Tower:

[PyroArrow]

As Stormbrow's party lie in wait of Fr. Tenebaum's return, they hear the sound of the horse coming from behind & got a bit spooked at first until they could see it was indeed Fr. Tenebaum.

"Odderick's group has received the news about the pathway & Lonely Tower."

"Has anything happened while i was gone?"

It has been about 25 minutes, since Fr. Tenebaum, went to inform the others & returned.

[GreyWolfVT]

Strombrow "Yes Fr. Tenebaum there appears to be men working on siege engines and other contraptions over near the tower. I can only suspect they are up to no good. I'm trying to figure out if our best act is to prevent them from completing their work so they cannot storm the tower or caves with such weapons of destruction or if we go back and warn the keep before we try to get to the caves."

[PyroArrow]

Fr. Tenebaum to Stormbrow:

"Well the others have been informed & are already headed back with the bandit prisoners."
"Let us carry on with the primary mission, as their numbers around that Tower may be too much for us to handle."
"We must get across the pathway hopefully unseen!"

Pulpatoon:
Linos: "We have sent news to the Keep. Beyond that, this is no concern of ours, not now. We should make haste."

[GreyWolfVT]

Stombrow "I agree we must not take on the numbers at the tower in this current split group. Let us hurry past here and continue to the caves."

[PyroArrow]

Rest of Stormbrow's party needs to chime in here as to how to go about getting across the pathway!

[Pulpatoon]

Linos looks at how everyone is standing cautiously to one side of the path. "Are we assuming that there is something unnatural about this path, that we do not choose to sully our feet with its dust? I could call upon the Grace of the Saint. He has been known to open his followers' eyes to the presence of wickedness. Then we would know if such skittishness is prudence or timidity."

[GreyWolfVT]

Stormbrow to Linos "That does sound like a good plan."

[PyroArrow]

I take it that Bro. Linos will try to 'Detect Evil' on the pathway?

[Pulpatoon]

Yes.

Brother Linos closes his eyes and spreads out his hands, murmuring, "St. Cuthbert, whose blows correct the iniquities of evil, who binds the spirits of the air, the water, the ground, the underground, and the netherworld, who breaks the seals of chaos and reveals the stern path of righteousness, open my eyes to the evil intentions within this base and benighted world, that I might take up cudgel and shield, in your name."

[MonkeyWrench]

Durgan looks towards Linos as he asks him to summon some sort of woodland creature, "I suppose I can do... whatever it is my folk do... yes." But hesitates in doing so based off of where the conversation was going. He now waits for the detect evil on the road, seeing no reason why this is being done but holding his tongue, as usual.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boc Remains at the front of the group, next to the road as the cleric goes to work, he waits patiently for them to continue, seeing that the quarry that they are pursuing is greater than his.

[GreyWolfVT]

Strombrow remains ducked down behind a shrubbery. He sees the knights of knee He awaits the detect evil.