Chapter 3: The Monastery at Dimwater

[Mant72]

Wil and Kragg help carry the unconscious Hexalon to the infirmary (8), as the party decides to continue their exploration of the outlying buildings from there.

Reaching the building, the group sees a pair of wide double doors that mark the entrance, and a squat tower sits at its northern end. There are several windows that run around the top of the tower; however, most of these have been shattered and broken.

The company enters the infirmary to find trash, debris, and old bedding littering the floor.

A fireplace, now choked with fallen bricks, is built into the center of the west wall. Rows of cots line the walls on either side of the fireplace. Two skeletons, possibly belonging to former occupants, recline on a couple of the cots.

A few skulls and bones lie scattered at the foot of a cabinet and set of shelves that stand against the southern wall. A large brass basin sits in the southeast corner, and on the northern wall, are a set of closed double doors.

[ravenn4544]

Wil notices the skeletons and whispers intently, "We need to smash them to bits now - quickly! - in case they should rise against us like in the tower!"

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg "Same thing I thought when I checked this place earlier."

[Inferno]

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

Phineas joins the group as they enter the infirmary.

Rows of cots line the walls on either side of the fireplace. Two skeletons, possibly belonging to former occupants, recline on a couple of the cots.

Phineas' dead pan regards the long dead patients. "Hmm. Not exactly a quality infirmary. Poor Hex, if these are his predecessors."
The little man carefully searches the cabinets and shelves.

[Grognardsw]

Aric approaches the double doors, looking about for tracks.

Tracking [1d100] = 77

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

With arrow nocked Osprey stands nearby while Aric investigates the closed doors, making sure to stay out of the way of his tracking.

[Mant72]

Upon seeing the skeletons in the infirmary, the two clerics, Luna and Yon, commence with a series of holy gestures in hopes of warding off any potentially restless spirits. In light of the recent events in the watchtower, Kragg and Wil also feel uneasy around the skeletons and consider pulverizing the bones before they can animate and attack. Despite all of the precautions taken, the skeletons remain motionless and do not move from their final resting places.

Phineas wanders over to the cabinet and the set of shelves that stand along the south wall, having to kick a few random bones out of the way in order to get there. The shelves are sparsely stocked with old rolls of gauze and bandages and a few empty bottles and vials of various sizes. Phin tries the cabinet and finds that it is locked.

Osprey nocks his bow and covers Aric as he moves to investigate the floor in front of the double doors to the north. The barbarian spots traces of a few muddy footprints. The tracks look like they might belong to large canines, and they disappear behind the closed doors.

- Barbarians are unable to track indoors; however, the footprints are still evident to Aric's keen eyes.

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

"Monks are insane! Deranged! Positively unglued! ...An oath of poverty AND chastity?!?" thought Phineas. "That sort of mental instability leads to paranoia. And paranoia leads to the laying of traps in the strangest of places."

Thus informed, the little impresario examined the lock for tricks and traps. If it seemed clear, he'd attempt to pick it.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg investigates for traps on the cabinet doors & then tries his hand at the locks of the cabinets.

Open Locks (35%) [1d100] = 13

[Mant72]

Phineas cocks his head to one side, inspecting the locking mechanism on the infirmary cabinet. He takes a few steps back to get a different perspective, then once again returns to get an even closer look than before. He puts his hands on his hips, blows through his prodigious mustaches, and determines that the "deranged" monks have not installed
any devious surprises for would-be, inquisitive locksmiths. The halfling's nimble fingers then set to work on picking the lock.

Kragg steps up and watches over Phineas' shoulder, waiting to try his luck should the halfling fail.

- Pick Locks roll from Phin, please. Add 25% to base chance due to the age and condition of the lock.

- Phineas declared interest in the cabinet first. If he fails, Kragg will get his turn.

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

To Aric, I'm hesitant to open these doors considering the state of our party. We have one who couldn't defend himself or get away.

[Grognardsw]

... The barbarian spots traces of a few muddy footprints. The tracks look like they might belong to large canines, and they disappear behind the closed doors.

Aric raises his hand in signal, then quietly points to the tracks on the floor. He immediately moves to the right of the door, sword in hand.

"They are here!" he hisses. "Ready bows. I will kick the door open."

[Mant72]

Phineas unlocks the cabinet and rifles through it only to find it filled with items of little or no use: rusted medical instruments, empty glass containers, and jars of dried-up salves and ointments; however, in the very back, mixed in with some of the empty medicine bottles, he finds a small vial stoppered with a cork that contains a light-blue, effervescent liquid. A tag is attached to the vial by a piece of string, but the label has long since faded and is now mostly illegible. Only the letters “re______te” remain decipherable.

Phineas withdrawals the vial and holds it up for examination, "Well, well, well, what do we have here? It appears to have once been labeled, but alas, it has faded with age. They should have used the old contract ink we used back at the circus. That stuff is per-man-ent. Contrived from the ink of a giant kraken it was. Can any of you make out what it says?" He turns to the others as they gather in front of the double doors preparing to break them down.

- Phineas Picks Cabinet Lock (45%; +25% for lock condition): [1d100] = 47

[ChubbyPixie]

Trusty Yon, Human Cleric

"Re...., re..." Yon begins to sound out, then notices Aric about to kick the door open. He takes out his club and moves to the other side of the door.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg "Something for some of the more magicy types to sort out, but I bet it's a healing potion Phineas." the dwarf rogue declares and walks off to act as a guard.

[Mant72]

Phineas T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

"Hmm, Kragg. You might be right, but I assure you if it is a healing libation, it will pale in comparison to Mister C.K. Pickering's Wonderous Elixir of Vitality. Alas, we will have to ponder this puzzle at a later time. It seems we have more pressing issues to contend with at the moment." He nods in the direction of the others as they prepare to enter the double doors to the north. He carefully places the vial in his pocket and nocks an unpoisoned arrow just as Aric suggested.

[Grognardsw]

Aric the barabarian, sword and poison dagger in hands, kicks the door open and steps back to let the archers fire on any gnolls beyond.

Door bash [1d6] = 4

[Mant72]

Aric delivers a solid kick to the double doors, and they both swing inward to reveal the interior of the infirmary tower.

There is a wooden staircase that rises from the center of the room and leads up to the second floor. The stairway is in poor condition for there are a number of rotten steps, and the entire handrail is missing from the right side. Although the stairs look rather decrepit, they still seem climbable. The muddy canine prints that led into the room continue on up the stairs, and then fade away about halfway up.

The ground floor of the tower circles around both sides of the staircase. There is a window on the northwest wall and a window on the northeast wall, both have been broken out. A desk sits beneath the northwest window, and a stout door on the north wall stands ajar. You can see through the door that it leads back outside to the monastery grounds (see area 8 on map).

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user


Bow still at the ready, Osprey takes in the scene.
Hmmm, a fire with green wood and lots of foliage right here at the base and we could smoke them out- assuming anything is up there. On the other hand we could go single file up possibly safe stairs through a choke point to find out also.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg readies his scimitar and walks over to assist the large barbarian man "Aric" by the doors ready for gnolls or dogs to attack. Though seeing the rotting stairs wonders whom of the party will be able to walk up them with out the shear weight breaking the stairs further. "You know we could just smash the stairs and they wouldn't be able to get down here eventually they'll starve to death."