Sailors on the Starless Sea

[fireinthedust]

Alaric and the others follow to the opening, looking in.

Alaric himself takes a moment to peer into the murder holes they'd spotted before, to see if any threats await from in there.

If it's "safe", they'll start moving in.

 

[Dogmatron]

"Keep it quiet," Brom whispers to Alaric as they move up. "We heard something moving up on top of the wall. Sounded like something with claws sniffing about."

Brom, Geoffrey, and Fendrek will follow Alaric and crew once they move past the portcullis. They will stop just inside the tunnel mouth and visually scout the inner courtyard before proceeding.

 

[GlassEye]

Geoffrey, Fendrel, Brom, Alaric, Dudles, Zim, and Borok make it safely across the planks and into the courtyard. The courtyard is overgrown with sickly weeds and thick brambles. A deathly silence hangs in the air, as if even the frogs and insects are afraid to draw attention to themselves. The smell of rotting vegetation is pervasive, and the ground sucks at your boots with every tentative step.

Nearly all of the courtyard's building have fallen into ruin. A single burnt-out shell set against the keep's east wall is the only remaining structure. Set near the heart of the courtyard is a well, framed with a crude pulley system. To the southeast is the keep's sole standing tower. The northwest tower has tumbled into the giant blocks as seen from when you exited the forest and the northeast tower has collapsed into what looks like a deep pit.

 

[Dogmatron]

"What do you think, Alaric?, "Asked Brom, "Check out the burned out building over there, or go check out the pit where that tower used to be?"

Fendrik scans the ground within the courtyard, looking to see if there is evidencee that is has been used recently.

 

[fireinthedust]

Alaric ponders the question, looking to Narancasta as he speaks softly his thoughts.

"I see the well in the middle, and a pit in the Northeast. As well, the bodies we fought were infected by plants, which take root as seeds deep below the earth. I expect that whatever evil dwells here lies below us, to cause the cave-in that created the pit and toppled that tower."

"Perhaps the well could lower us down to see, but that is an option I would save for last. The Building and the Pit seem the best places to start, and then I would see the tower in the Southeast. Then, and only then, would I look to the well. That said... if the bodies we slew were infected by plants, that burned-out building would logically seem to be the place more plants would come from."

"Investigating this place safely, to avoid more deaths, I would have us stay together and move cautiously. So much the better to defend one another, and surround each danger one at a time to overwhelm them with our strength. Rather than scatter ourselves and be ourselves overrun."

"Does this thought agree with you, sire?" he defers to the knight.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Wisely, four other adventurers had held back, but seeing their comrades unharmed Boral says, "It seems like that's another safe area. Alright Betsy, let's get you up there."

Upon joining the others, Tender says, "I think we should take the direct approach and check out that pit. It doesn't make any sense for us to continue on if we don't know what made it and how. I have to admit I'm interested in checking out their tunneling methods."

Happy grimaces and adds, "If there are insects or man-eating plants to worry about my arms will help little. Any ideas on what to do should we run into danger?"

Kurl clucks and says, "Hmmm... there are many things that could have done this. Whatever made that pit took down a tower, and so it stands to reason that any structure we enter could become a collapsed tomb for us. I agree we should stick together with the others, and check the pit for clues."

 

[doghead]

Narančasta, Siva, and Xim

"Keep it quiet," Brom whispers to Alaric as they move up. "We heard something moving up on top of the wall. Sounded like something with claws sniffing about."

Narančasta, Siva, and Xim move up with the others, through the gatehouse to where they can view the courtyard. Narančasta listens to the suggestions, but it is Siva who speaks first.

"We should scout the gatehouse above first. I don't like the idea of leaving something at our backs," say Siva quietly. "Then we can investigate further in."

Narančasta nods in agreement. He turns to the two with ranged weapons. "Siva, Zim, cover the courtyard while the rest of us look for a way up."

With that he moves cautiously out into the courtyard to search for an entrance to the gatehouse. Hopefully it is just inside the courtyard.

Siva moves out along with Narančasta, sweeping the courtyard with her bow. Xim waits for some of the better fighters to move out before following, not wanting o get in the way.

[sblock=OOC]Just trying to visualise a cow crossing a plank Perhaps we should give Betsy a slap on the rump and send her into the courtyard to flush out danger. [/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

Fendrel notices strange tracks running from gatehouse from which they just exited to the door in the southeast tower with a side trail to the well. After a moment he realizes the tracks resemble a number of large animals: boar, something with three toes, a hawk's scratch, others that he doesn't recognize.

All have passed the portcullis safely ahead of Xim but when Xim moves beneath there is the horrendous sound of chains released. The portcullis crashes down before the unfortunate halfling dyer has the chance to realize what is even occurring let alone move out of the way and Xim is pierced through by one of the thick, iron tines.

A bare moment later a heavy bell in the southeast tower tolls a single ominous time.

[sblock=OOC]Portcullis vs. Xim (1d20-5=10) for Dmg vs. Xim (1d6=5). And another one is taken by the Keep.[/sblock]

 

[doghead]

Narančasta, Siva

Narančasta's heart lurches as Xim is crushed beneath the portcullis.

"Its a trap." hisses Siva, sweeping her bow between the gatehouse entrance and that of the southeast tower. "And they know that we are here."

Narančasta crushes the urge to rush over to Xim. The dead can wait. He scans the area. There is at least one in the gatehouse. And there is at least one, but probably more, in the tower. Rushing the tower might have made sense if they had the element of surprise. But they don't.

"Siva, Zim, watch the tower and cover our backs."

Narančasta hefts his sword and eyes up the tower.

 

[GlassEye]

Despite the tragedy of another death Narančasta's soldierly mind examines the remaining structure of the keep. Its south wall, the east corner the moss-covered tower and the west the gatehouse, appears to have only a single entrance in the tower itself: a tall, rust-bound portal watched over by a leering, demonic gargoyle. The wall between the two defensive structures rises thirty feet from the rammed earth and is covered in a patchwork of moss, sickly vines, and lichen. Like the rest of the structure it is built of enormous stones rather than simple carved blocks and is fitted together crudely, leaving cracks between the stones for rotting vegetation and pools of water that act as host to clouds of gnats and mosquitoes.

[sblock=OOC]I.e., there's no entrance to the gatehouse to take. The only entrances found so far are the one to the tower (described this post) and the door to the ruined building along the east wall.[/sblock]