Chapter 3: The Monastery at Dimwater

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

Osprey idly wonders if he should take offense at Kragg's...demeanor. For now he simply awards the dwarf a straight-faced wink and then resumes his search of the room for anything they might have missed.

Perhaps donning that pendant is what caused the death scream of the now skeleton. Only one way to find out I suppose. This building seems to have been cleared. Shall we move on to another? Let us see how much ground we can cover by sunset.

[Grognardsw]

Aric, barbarian, pulls up his rope. He glances around out the window to see if anything was watching him. He looks over shoulders at the pendant. His stomach feels fine, so he thinks it not magical.

Detect Magic [1d100] = 32

[Mant72]

Phineas admires Yon’s rope tricks, “If the circus ever reunites, there is most certainly a place for you on stage, my good sir.” He hears Osprey’s suggestion that the group should move along to investigate the other outbuildings and calls up the stairs, “Well said, warrior-mage! It seems there are no diamonds or glorious gems to be had in this place, and good old Hex is up, about, and as spry as ever. Where shall we venture next?” He looks longingly out one of the windows towards the church in the distance.

Wil cautiously removes the Lunia pendant from the skeletal remains. He examines the necklace and notes its fine craftsmanship; however, being unconcerned with temporal affairs, the monk is a poor judge at assessing its monetary value. Aric gazes at the necklace in passing and senses nothing arcane in its design.

Osprey completes his search of the room, and finds nothing of further interest.

From his cursory glance, Aric estimates the necklace to be worth about 30 gp.

[ravenn4544]

Wil will give the pendant to Luna, "Perhaps this best finds a home with you, good cleric..."

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg "I've heard tales of a necklace that will strangle the life from it's wearer. So take heed and be careful with it. the surly dwarf warns "Sorry Osprey, take no offense was more a warning than a threat about the noise. I was more thinking that gnolls that jumped us the other night were here." he then sheaths his sword again.

[jdluna]

Luna thanks Wil This will feed many hungry people. Even in the darkest of places, Lunia provides.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg thinks a moment about his statement "Err wait no it was bugbear weren't it? Sorry as a dwarf gnolls and bugbear all the same thing, ugly beasts that deserve to die."

[Storm11]

Hexcalls up to the others in a loud whisper. "Is everything ok up there, yes yes yes?

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

We're fine up here and coming down now, Osprey calls back down.

Turning to the others in the room he suggests, we should go down the stairs individually so as not to strain this rickety staircase.

He then starts down slowly and carefully, thinking of just moving counterclockwise to explore more of the grounds once everyone is downstairs.

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg "Elves first. I'll go second in case the big one here breaks the stairs under his mass of muscle. Reminds me of a strongman in a carnival I seen once." the dwarf waves for the elven one to go first. "You're lighter afoot than I am after all Osprey."

[Storm11]

The multi-coloured halfling breathes a sigh of relief and sets about searching the ground floor for any secret doors or hidden compartments

[ChubbyPixie]

Trusty Yon, Human Cleric of Light

Yon moves away from the stairs so the others can descend. "Any more mystical horns or other instruments up there? Any clues at all?" he asks. He moves to a window to get a look at what the next building over would be, if he can. Otherwise he'll just scan the grounds for any movement.

[Grognardsw]

Aric carefully negotiates the stairs down to the first floor and watches out the door while the others search.

The barbarian takes out his piece of chalk and draws on his buckler shield the symbol found on the gnoll.

[Mant72]

Osprey, Wil, Kragg, and Aric all descend the decrepit stairs one at a time so as to prevent them from collapsing. Other than a few threatening creaks and groans, the stairs prove stable, and they all reach the ground level without incident.

Aric then walks over to the doorway to stare out at the monastery. He ponders the relevance of the strange tattoos he saw on the bugbears and the dog-man, and an idea comes to him. He rummages around in his belt pouch for a moment to retrieve a piece of chalk, crouches beside his buckler, and begins etching the symbol upon the face of the small shield.

Brother Wil asserts that the pedant of Lunia belongs in the hands of someone who follows the faith. The monk then hands it over to Luna, and the moon-priest graciously accepts the gift.

Hex searches the lower floor of the infirmary for any secret doors or hidden compartments, but the illusionist comes up empty-handed. Yon and Phineas peer out the windows, scanning the monastery grounds for any signs of movement or danger, but they too spot nothing of interest.

Osprey suggests that the group continue their search of the outbuildings, beginning with the west gate (Area 17).

The door on the north wall of the infirmary tower is open, and the party can see through it out onto the monastery grounds. They see a gateway to the west (Area 17), and to the north is an overgrown area surrounded by a low wrought-iron fence (Area 16). Judging from the ornamental trees and shrubs contained therein, some members of the group speculate that it might have once been a garden.

- See map for further explanation: viewtopic.php?f=337&t=5364&p=240239#p240239

[coil23]

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

Watching Aric draw the symbol on his shield pulls a smile across the elf's face. Nodding, he prepares to resume the exploration. Bow out with arrow nocked but not drawn he nods to the north.

Shall we continue? We can see to the state of the side gate now in case we need escape routes in a hurry later and then move on counterclockwise through the grounds from there. Any objections?

Come nightfall, if we don't find a better option we can go back to camp in the tower we used last night. Although the second floor of this tower, with decrepit, creaking stairs as an alarm system might even be better.

[Storm11]

Hex readily agrees, his near brush with death making him happy to let the other less proactive members of the party lead the way.

[ravenn4544]

Will agrees, "Let us continue north through the garden to that building there," he nods indicating (15).

[GreyWolfVT]

Kragg also agrees "Yes lets move onward."

[Inferno]

P.T. Codswallop: halfling impresario:

"RestorativE!" exclaimed Phineas suddenly.

"I do detest an unsolved mystery. It gnaws at the mind, interminably.

"...restorative," Phineas repeated quietly as he followed the others.

[Mant72]

Continuing their search of the monastery outbuildings, the group agrees to make their way to the west gate (Area 17).

Along the way, they pass beside a rusty four-foot tall wrought-iron fence that encloses a number of overgrown ornamental shrubs and trees (Area 16). A large cat-shaped statue and a small wooden shed can be seen through the dense foliage of the unkempt garden. There is a small gate in the center of the fence, further north, that serves as the garden's entrance (see map for further explanation: viewtopic.php?f=337&t=5364&#41 ).

Arriving at the west gate, the party sees that it is similar to the gate they used to gain entry into the monastery grounds; however, this gate is much more intact and in overall better condition. It is constructed of iron bars that are 10 feet high and spaced about 6 inches apart. A pitted dirt road lies on the other side, and it leads into the Eldenhook Forest. The gate is old and weathered, and its hinges are rusted shut. It is locked with a huge, corroded padlock and chain.

More gnoll prints can be seen stomped into the mud on both sides of the gate.

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Everyone roll a 1d20 Wisdom check, please.